Sasuke and the Kyuubi
by Magical Mistress Sarai
Summary: You've heard the legend of Beauty and the Beast, the fairy tale, the Disney version, but you don't know the truth. It is a tale of a centuries old curse which intertwines the fates of a young man who doesn't quite know where he fits into the world and a monster who gave up on redemption ages ago. Will they be soul mates or will they kill one another before finding out? NaruSasu
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**This is just a crack-fic for me. I've had this idea jittering around in my brain for months. ****This beginning came to me today. I hope you enjoy it, as I believe it to be the start of another fun adventure!**

* * *

Our story begins, as these tales often do: a long time ago… in a land that no longer exists.

Before Arthur pulled Excalibur from its rock of legend, before Merlin discovered that he was destined for life filled with magic, before the dark ages, in a time when Rome was still an infant… there existed a kingdom high in the mountains, tucked away from the rest of the world and filled with people as fascinating and wondrous as any fairy tale: The kingdom of Konoha, the people of the forests.

This kingdom had lasted for years, ruled by a kind and wise leader who was beloved by every one of his subjects. His reign was one of peace, prosperity, and good will, but, alas, like all good things… they come to an end. The king died during a hunting accident, cutting short a beautiful and vibrant life, leaving behind a populace in mourning, and thrusting rulership onto his only son, a boy barely thirteen years of age.

His son's name was Naruto, a child with golden hair and sapphire eyes. He was the spitting image of his father, and the people rejoiced for their dear king remained with them in some form. Young and completely unprepared to rule, Naruto reluctantly took control of the throne. He was advised by the staff of the castle, taught by the men whom his father had trusted, but he never left the palace his father had built: Castle Kyu.

Naruto was a bright child and his servants could see that he had the potential to one day be as great a king as his father was, but Naruto also had a flaw: the boy was selfish.

Having lost his father at such a young age, many people tried to coddle the boy to keep him from crying. This coddling soon gave Naruto the wrong idea about the world. He thought that if he threatened to throw a fit, then people would give him whatever he desired, and unfortunately many did in order to pacify the boy. As he grew older, this flaw started becoming more apparent… and it proved to be his undoing.

On his seventeenth birthday, Naruto was haughtily demanding his gifts from each and every citizen of his kingdom, when, suddenly, a knock at the palace doors interrupted his celebration.

The guards opened the doors to reveal a hobbling old woman in tattered robes, soaked to the bone from the torrential rain that was pour down from the heavens. The old woman begged for shelter from the storm, claiming that she had even brought a gift for the young prince. She gifted the boy with a small, silver locket, which she claimed held a very special secret inside… a secret about the boy's destiny, and the locket would open when the boy proved himself to be a man.

Naruto, having grown accustomed to getting whatever he wanted and on his own terms, scoffed at the old woman. While the language of this time period has long been lost to the annuals of history, the oral tradition still hold record of his fatal insult. While it may not be entirely accurate, we can believe with some certainty that this is what he yelled at the old woman, "Get lost, Granny!"

The insult angered the old woman, who, in a blinding flash of light, revealed herself to be a most powerful and beautiful sorceress. Her name was Tsunade, Seer of the Storms, and she had known Naruto's father many years ago. The sorceress had hear tales of the young prince who ruled his kingdom with greed and avarice, and she had come to see if such a child could have spawned from such a dear friend as the old king. Disappointed and appalled by Naruto's demeanor, Tsunade placed a spell upon the boy and his entire palace, cursing them all to live forever in forms befitting their true hearts that lay within, only to be broken when the young prince could learn to love unconditionally… and in return be loved himself.

The curse turned Naruto in to a beast, huge and terrifying. The transformation riddled the boy with guilt, and it turned his people against him, fleeing to distant lands. As time went by, the kingdom fell into ruin. Even his loyal servants, who were also affected by the curse, could do nothing to help their young prince… and Naruto slowly secluded himself from everything and everyone.

Years passed… fading into decades… in to centuries.

The legends of yore came and went, and Castle Kyu and the kingdom of Konoha were all but forgotten. Now, all that remains is a quiet, provincial village which is nestled high up in the mountains, part of a country that is now called Japan.

This tiny village of Konoha as been on the outside of most modern advances. While their children travel to the outlying cities and go about their lives, the adults are content to stick to their own devices, loving the peaceful tranquility of the mountain village… most of them not even realizing the history or the curse that befell the people who lived there centuries and centuries ago.

It is hear, that our story begins… in this quiet little village, where a young man has found himself exiled by his father.

* * *

**Present Day:**

Sasuke Uchiha was in hell.

The village of Konoha had no internet, no cable, and no coffee. They drank tea! The barbarians didn't have a single ounce of caffeine to be had. The raven haired boy had only been here a week and already he was about to lose his mind. The one saving grace about this town was that it had a bookshop, filled with old volumes from various countries. Most of these books in this shop had stories and histories that Sasuke had never even heard of, which meant they were filled with knowledge that he could absorb and use to his advantage.

Shuffling through the morning pedestrians as they went about their daily routines: going to the center market that the village was built around, bartering their specific crafts for needed goods, or just idly chatting with one another, Sasuke made his way to the one place in this town that didn't make him want to commit suicide.

He was dressed casually, wearing tan shorts and a navy blue t-shirt. The village built on the side of the mountains and surrounded by a forest, which meant that most of the time the air was thick, moist and hot during the day. Sasuke may have been pale and accustomed to the city, but he was about to be uncomfortable, so he had adopted to dressing like many of the villagers.

The book shop was on the farthest edge of the market, and, like every morning, Sasuke had to walk past the Baker's shop, who, like always, shouted a loud "Good Morning" at the raven.

Sasuke responding in kind with a grunted, "Hn." Which the fat man always interpreted as a friendly gesture, because every day they did this same routine. It was annoying.

Shoving his hands deep into his pockets, Sasuke stalked into the bookshop and slammed the door behind him, glad to have a barrier between him and the chaotic village life outside. He took a deep breath and reached into the satchel he had slung over his shoulders, pulling out an old leather book which he intended to return.

"Oh! Sasuke," an older, white haired man with an insanely long ponytail came out of the back, pushing his way through the cloth flap that blocked a view to his sleeping quarters, "You're punctual as ever."

"Morning, Jiraya," Sasuke nodded, placing the book on top of the shop's counter. "What do you have for me today?"

Jiraya was the reason Sasuke was in this village. The man was a genius apparently. Jiraya had five PhD's, three masters, and enough stored mental knowledge that he could probably drown an elephant with facts. After being kicked out of his last boarding school, Sasuke's father had exploded. He'd threatened to disown Sasuke unless the raven got his act together. What had Fugaku Uchiha, head of the most powerful telecommunications conglomerate in Japan, decided would set his son straight?

He'd decided Sasuke needed a private tutor… who lived on a mountain… in the middle of nowhere.

And so here they were: Sasuke would come in daily to get new reading material, and Jiraya would converse with the boy for a few minutes, then Sasuke would leave to go read. It was a simple set up, and if it weren't for the location Sasuke would have been content with it. In fact, if he could just get some coffee, Sasuke was pretty sure he could consider this life to be a little slice of heaven: Peace, quiet, books… no Uchiha responsibilities.

"I have something extra special for you today," Jiraya grinned, pulling out a black leather tome from under the counter and laying it on top with a THUD!

Sasuke picked up the book, inspecting it closely. There was no title, no author, and no publishing house to indicate where the book had come from. In fact the only thing on the cover of the book was the gold, embossed outline of a fox's head. "What is this?" Sasuke looked at the book skeptically.

"That is the Curse of Castle Kyu," Jiraya grinned, "It's a legend from around these parts… it's like their version of King Authur, except without a happy ending."

"King Arthur didn't have a happy ending," Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Oh," Jiraya laughed, "Right! I was thinking of those damn Twilight books. I just finished reading them, and I say! I understand what all the fuss was about."

"You insult every academic in the world by merely existing," Sasuke jabbed.

Jiraya looked as though Sasuke had mortally wounded him, "How could you say such a thing?"

"Because it's the truth," the raven said flatly.

"Well, that book should keep you occupied until I return tomorrow."

"What?" Sasuke was surprised. "Why?" Hardly any of the adults ever left Konoha village. In fact, according to the villagers. Jiraya hadn't left in six years.

"I've finally made a breakthrough on my cancer research!" the old man grinned, "I think I've solved the curse for breast cancer and the University of Tokyo had asked me to deliver my findings tomorrow."

"Wow," the raven's eyes widened, "I'm impressed!"

"You should be boy!" Jiraya crossed his arms, "Just think how many pairs of delightful breasts I'm going to see once I start giving demonstrations on how to perform my technique!"

And there it was: the one reason why this would never be considered heaven. Sasuke's tutor was a pervert.

"Right…" the raven muttered, "On that note, I'm out of here."

"Just make certain you don't go out into the forest," Jiraya cautioned.

"Why would I ever want to do that," Sasuke groaned, exiting the shop without waiting for Jiraya to respond. He would never in a hundred years go out into that forest. Bugs, wolves, bears… bugs! Sasuke had no desire for any of it.

"You never know," Jiraya smirked, whispering to himself. "More than one person has gone off into the wood after reading that book. They all returned scared out of their minds and muttering about the Beast of Kyu… The Kyuubi." He reached under the counter and pulled out his travel bag, ready to begin his journey towards Breast Nirvana.

The old scholarly pervert then chuckled at the ludicrous thought of Sasuke going into the woods. That boy had never left his room unless he had to either eat, answer the call of nature, or come to get another book. There wasn't a chance in hell he would go off into the woods.

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**A/N - **

**And this is where it all begins. I don't know what the update schedule will be, or how much time I will dedicate to it. It all depends on the feedback I get. Currently my attentions are focused on my other Naruto story, "Play For Your Life", and my Rise of the Guardians story, "A Change of Spirit"; however, if enough people demand it... I will work this into my schedule. I have an outline for it, so I do know where it is going to go from here.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I couldn't just leave the story hanging with only an opening. So here! Have another chapter!**

* * *

"Sasuke!"

The raven turned as his name was called out, just in time to see a blur of red and pink come rushing up to him. "_Oh, no_…" he thought, "Not her! Not today!" He should have known it was her just from the irritating pitch of her voice, but, like an idiot, Sasuke had turned around and now she had caught up to him. Possibly the worst part about living in this village had just shown up: Sakura Haruno.

* * *

The pink haired girl rushed up to Sasuke's side, dressed in red leather armor and black pants, a bow and quiver slung across her back.

Sakura was the village's best hunter. She was one of the few people who dared to venture out into the woods, and every time she returned with enough game to stock the butcher for several days. Most of the people in the village adored Sakura. She was brave, beautiful, and brazen. She pursued her passions with reckless abandon, and she was an icon to all of the villagers, especially their children.

Girls envied her, boys wanted to date her… all of them except Sasuke.

Sakura loved her village. She was practically a god here! The entire world existed at the tip of her arrows, but she had never had an interest in any of the boys, or girls, who lived here. They idolized her, sure, and while she enjoyed their fawning and groveling and gifts, Sakura longed for someone who was her equal.

Then a week ago the most gorgeous man in the entire world had showed up in her village. It was a message from the heavens. Some god in the clouds above had seen her distress and deemed that she should have an angel. After all, she was the most beautiful girl in her village; it was only right that she have someone of equal beauty.

Add onto that the fact that Sasuke didn't fawn over her, rather he practically ignored her, Sakura felt her inner huntress burning with desire, rising to the challenge. She would have Sasuke Uchiha. It was only a matter of time.

"Whatcha reading, Sasuke?" She asked, stepping in front of him so he would stop walking away from her.

"Nothing that would interest you," the raven muttered, closing his book.

"Aw, don't be like that," she pouted, "Just because I'm all outdoors and sunshine, that doesn't mean I don't know how to appreciate a good book." She then reached out and snatched the black leather novel from his hands, holding it up for inspection. "Huh, what an odd cover," she fanned through the pages of the book and was astonished by how small the printing was. She could barely make out the words, and not only was the print small, there wasn't a single picture in the whole thing. "Wow…"

"Like I said," Sasuke growled, "It takes someone with more than half a brain."

"You may think I'm a half-wit," Sakura smirked, "But I bet I know something you don't."

"And what is that?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow, daring the girl to prove herself.

"That golden fox," she tapped a pink nail on the embossed cover of the book, "It's the symbol of the Kyuubi."

"The what?"

"The monster of Upper Mountain," Sakura grinned evilly. She enjoyed toying with her prey before closing in for the kill, "It's said to be eight foot tall, with razor sharp claws, capable of tearing a man's head off with a single slash of it's massive paw." Sakura made an elaborate swiping motion with her arm, which Sasuke ducked with ease. He looked at her like she had lost her mind.

"And it flies on a pair of bat wings and sucks the life out of little children?" Sasuke mocked. "I thought you actually had something intelligent to say.

"Hmph!" Sakura crossed her arms, "You're so mean! But that's okay, I just won't tell you where I've seen that symbol."

"You've seen this before?"

"All the time," Sakura shrugged, "It's carved into these stone, pillar things that lead up the mountain. I rarely go up there because the game doesn't migrate that high, but sometime I run across one while I'm tracking."

"Hn," Sasuke looked down at the book, and then he just walked off, leaving Sakura standing there.

"Hey! Where are you going?" she called after him.

"Home." The raven said without looking back.

"Don't you want to see the stone things?" she asked, hoping that they might get some alone time in the woods.

"Not interested," Sasuke waved a hand dismissively, leaving her without so much as a good-bye.

"Grr!" Sakura stomped her foot and stormed off towards the forest. She had a sudden desire to shoot something, and that was the best place to do it.

* * *

The winds were picking up, heralding the coming of a rather large storm. Jiraya wasn't one who believed in folk tales or curses, but there was a reason why few people left the village of Konoha: it was a bitch to get down the mountain. The process took hours, primarily because the only way down was on horseback. The path was too steep to take an automobile, and the city below the mountain hadn't seen it worth the resources to build a lift.

The entire journey normally took several hours, but if this storm caught up with him before he made it down to the city… then it would be quite dangerous. Jiraya came to a fork in the path, it was a place he'd been to several times before and never thought about it. However, now that he was in a hurry, Jiraya specifically remembered that Haruno girl mentioning a shortcut or something down the mountain. The white haired sage couldn't remember the specifics, but what could it hurt? If he didn't take a short cut then he might as well turn around because there was no way that he could finish the journey before the storm hit.

* * *

"Why in the world would that old pervert think I would be interested in a book like this," Sasuke sighed, tossing the book onto his desk.

It wasn't that the book was boring, quite the opposite in fact, but everything in it was so outlandish and unbelievable! Sasuke had read dozens of books about the history of Japan; it was part of the plan his father had created for Sasuke's future; however, not one of those books had ever mentioned a kingdom called Konoha, nor this king Minato or his son Naruto.

It was a fairy tale, and Sasuke had no use for fairy tales. He was here to learn facts; facts that would help him to rise in the political or business worlds and surpass his father. There was no way that this book of fantastical stories would help him in any way.

"But Sakura had said this symbol was up in the mountains," Sasuke muttered to himself.

Was it possible? Could there be history about the world that wasn't widely known? There had been discoveries like this before. Many people thought that the City of Troy had been merely a fairy tale, but then a man had discovered its ruins. Atlantis was always thought to be a myth, but deep see divers had located great, stone foundations on the bottom of the ocean, foundations that many scientists believed once held large buildings.

So perhaps the Kingdom of Konoha had existed?

Picking up the book once more, Sasuke returned to reading, eager to find out how the young prince would adapt to a life without his father. Many kingdoms had been destroyed because young rulers were incapable of growing up fast enough to meet their new obligations. They were taken advantage of by ambitious advisors, or they were killed by the next in line for the throne. Sasuke hoped that none of these tragedies would befall Naruto, but something about the way the text was written told Sasuke that only tragedy lay in these next chapters.

* * *

That was not a short cut! The first clue should have been when the trail started to go up hill, but Jiraya assumed that it was just the lay of the land… an hour later it was too late to turn back. The storm was here.

Wind was roaring through the trees, whipping Jiraya's ponytail in front of his face and obscuring his vision. Spitting hair out of his mouth, the older man fought to get his unruly tresses under control. A flash of lightning lit up the dark clouds that were rolling in, and there was the rushing sound of falling rain. Jiraya turned to see a torrential deluge headed straight for him.

"Well, hell!" the man cursed.

He kicked his heels into the horse's flanks, urging it ahead of the pouring rain, hoping to find a temporary shelter. Suddenly the path turned from trodden grass and dirt to a paved walkway; it looked like an old road cut from grey pavestones. Another flash of lightning lit across the sky, illuminating the way ahead. Looming at the end of the path were a pair of large wooden gates.

Time and decay had broken them off of their hinges, and they lay swung inward, permanently open for anyone who happened to come across them. Jiraya passed under their archway just as the rain caught him. The flood of water drenched him almost immediately, dripping into his eyes and making it difficult to see.

The thunder roared, so loud that it was deafening, the boom so intense that Jiraya thought he saw pavestone rattle underneath the horses hooves. Another flash of lightning cracked through the air, right after the last, revealing a huge, towering structure that loomed up before him. In the darkness of the storm, the foundations and features of the structure were difficult to make out, but the scholarly old man could tell that the place was enormous. It was obviously ancient as well, because nothing this expansive had been built in this area for many centuries.

Pulling on the horse's reigns, Jiraya brought his flight to a stop at the large entrance to this ancient monolithic dwelling. He wasn't certain if the doors would budge, time had a way of making things quit working, but there weren't many options and this story was looking more and more dangerous as it set in. Hopping off the back of the horse, the old man walked up to the doors and pushed.

They swung open without even the smallest feel of resistance, only the slightest squeak of the hinges hinted that these doors had seen the years.

'_Odd_,' Jiraya thought, pulling on the horses reigns and guiding it into the dark interior. The horse suddenly went wild, pulling out of Jiraya's grasp and running off into the storm.

"Wait! You stupid animal!" he shouted after the fleeing animal. Swearing and kicking at the at the air at his rotten luck. Now he was stuck in an empty ruin, with a typhoon practically swirling overhead, and now he didn't even have a way to get to Boob Nirvana after the storm passed.

As if to punctuate his misfortune at the most inopportune moment, the huge doors chose that moment to slam shut, plunging Jiraya into complete, pitch black darkness. "Oh, hell…" he whispered. Now he'd locked himself in, he was certain of it. "Why me?"

Then he heard something: a shuffling of something across the floor, the sound of rustling… a growl?

"Hello?" he called out. "Is anyone there?"

A pair of shining eyes appeared in the darkness, peering directly at him.

"Hello?" Jiraya tried again, feeling a slight nervousness starting to rise up his spine.

The pair of eyes was suddenly joined by another pair, and then another… and another. There were now four pairs of eyes staring out of the darkness, slowly closing in on him. Jiraya could hear heaving breaths, panting from the sound of it… he definitely heard growls. His work was just getting worse as each second ticked by. Not only was he completely stranded during this storm, but he had found the only shelter within several miles… and it was home to beasts.

If there were any gods in heaven or on earth, Jiraya was sending them prayers right now because he was fairly certain he was about to die.

* * *

**A/N - **

**Cliffhanger! Bwahaha!**

**Review if you want to see what happens next. :P**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ok! Let's pick up where we left off shall we? Jiraya was in a load of trouble. Well... lets meet some new characters!**

* * *

"Do you think he'll actually wet his pants?" A voice chuckled out of the darkness.

"If your stomach keeps growling, then I'm certain he will." A second voice, which sounded slightly condescending, came from a different direction than the first.

"Who's there?" Jiraiya asked for the third time, hoping now that people were out there he would get an answer. Wait? People? What happened to the animals?

"Look at him, Iruka," the first voice sounded rather excited, "He's scared out of his mind."

"Well, duh!" a third voice came from behind the whited haired man, and Jiraiya whirled to see that a pair of golden eyes were shining directly behind him.

"If any of you actually had a conscience," the voice which had been called "Iruka" chastised its companions, "You would turn on the lights and stop scaring the man. Can't you see he's dripping wet. Who do you think cleans up around here? It's definitely not you, Kiba."

"That's because I have better things to do," the first voice retorted.

"Like create messes," Iruka sighed.

"Damn straight!" the Kiba voice chuckled.

"This is rather irritating," now a forth voice had joined in, "I'm going to go back to dusting the library."

"Hit the lights while your on your way out, please," Iruka petitioned.

"Yeah, yeah…"

Jiraiya was completely silent during this exchange. He was certain that people where around him, but for the life of him he couldn't understand why. These ruins should have been abandoned, and he was certain he had heard animals just a moment earlier. Was he finally going senile in his old age? That would be quite a bother, but then again, if he couldn't remember which boobs he had seen, then seeing each pair would be like seeing them for the first time… that wasn't such a bad prospect. Then again, there was always the chance he was dead, and that the voices around him actually belonged to ghosts who haunted the ruins. Any moment now Jiraiya could wake up to find himself standing over his own corpse.

Suddenly the entire room lit up in a blaze as dozens of torch fires came to light. Jiraiya found his attention swayed by the phenomenon, studying the lights with intrigue; he discovered that they were gas-fueled, probably from a natural source in the earth which the castle had somehow tapped for its use. It was old technology, but surprising sophisticated considering the age of these ruins.

"Look at him," a voice scoffed, "Not ten seconds ago he was wondering who was there; then you turn the lights on and he's completely distracted. I swear, people these days are scatterbrained."

"I beg your pardon," Jiraiya murmured, still fascinated by the gaslights, "It's just that I've never seen such incredible architecture. It predates the Edo period and feudal era… it must be centuries old."

"Try millennia," another voice snorted.

"Incredible," Jiraiya breathed, "To think a ruin so old could have survived in such a well preserved condition."

"Thank Iruka for that," the first voice chuckled, "He's obsessive with keeping dust out of this place."

"It messes with my allergies," the second voice responded.

"To whom to I have the pleasure of…" it was at this moment that Jiraiya decided to turn around and meet his new conversationalist, and he was rewarded with the most shocking thing he had ever seen in his life, and Jiraiya had meet the three breasted woman from the film Total Recall. "…Thanking?" Jiraiya squeaked, shrinking away from the individuals.

"Did he wet himself? Please say he did!" the person who was speaking, no, it wasn't a person… it was a… a monster!

It was as tall as a human, but covered in sleek, brown fur from head-to-toe, and, for lack of a better description, looked to be a bi-pedal laborador, but with strangely human-esque features. Jiraiya was unnerved by this, because despite how humanly the monster looked and moved, it wasn't wearing any clothes.

Noticing the old man's discomfort, the creature started smiling, which revealed rows of sharp, white canine teeth, which Jiraya assumed were quite sharp.

"Oh, look…" the dog chuckled, its amber colored eyes twinkling with amusement. "He finally noticed us!"

"Great job, Kiba. Now he'll probably faint."

Jiraiya turned to the second voice, his white ponytail swinging through the air wildly. He came face to face with a six-foot tall badger who was wearing a black and white, pinstriped vest over its fur. Again, his creature had peculiarly human-like features, capable of creating an expression of condescension towards the dog-like creature, and yet concern for Jiraiya's mental stability.

"Iruka, you are concerning yourself over nothing," a third voice murmured from off in the distance, "He won't be here long enough for you to start fussing."

Whirling around again, to find out where the voice had come from, the white haired scholar came face to face with a werewolf, which was leaning casually against one of the many stone pillars in the large atrium. Well, that was the closest thing he could think of to describe it, except this creature looked much more like a normal wolf, and not like those freakish creatures from the Underworld movies. This wolf had shining silver fur, which was noticeably spiky on the top of its head and it regarded the old man with a look of indifference. It was then that Jiraiya noticed the wolf only had a single eye, which was dark and emotionless. The other had a long, vertical scar that ran through it, though thankfully it was covered with a black eye patch which probably hid a nasty disfiguration.

Again, the sage-like old man found his brain taking note of characteristically features. It must be a coping mechanism, because Jiraiya half expected to faint at any moment.

"Kakashi, no matter how long a guest remains at Castle Kyu," Iruka bristled, "I will make certain that they receive the utmost hospitality I can muster. As majordomo of this palace, it is my duty…"

"Palace?" Kiba laughed, though it came out as a harsh bark, "You've barely managed to keep it from falling down around our heads!"

"Well the cleaning staff has been diminishing these past years…"

"I like how you make that sound," Kakashi smirked, revealing two sharp incisors that peaked underneath the black lips of his muzzle, "Diminishing! What a nice euphemism for desertion, suicide, and death."

"Such unseemly things," the badger brushed off his vest, absentmindedly distracting himself from the unpleasantness which the conversation had diverted to.

"Yet they are the reality of our situation," the wolf sneered, "If it weren't for Gaara, you'd be over your head. By the time you finished cleaning you would have to start over at where you began."

"Yes, well…" Iruka raised a clawed paw to the heavens, "Thank the gods for small miracles."

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Jiraiya finally exploded, his brain having taken in enough statistics and observations, that now he couldn't process it all.

"So loud," Kiba covered his ears with his paws… hands… it was so hard to differentiate between the human/animal characteristics of these monsters.

"Yes," Iruka snorted, his large eyes turning to regard the hyperventilating human, "Could you please keep it down. You don't want to wake the master."

"No, no…" Kakashi grinned, now showing his full set of teeth, "We wouldn't want that now… would we?"

"Most certainly not!" Iruka glared at the wolf.

"What is going on here?" Jiraiya whispered, though it was still loud enough that Kiba winced, his tail tucking slightly as he backed away from the obnoxious, white haired man. Kiba apparently didn't grasp the irony of his thoughts, nor the hypocrisy of him labeling another person as "obnoxious".

"What is going on here," Iruka smiled gently, "Is that you are trespassing; though, considering the turbulent storm outside, I'm sure you didn't have much of a choice."

"Quite right!" Jiraiya took hold of his ponytail, gripping it like a lifeline and practically wringing it for stress relief.

"I think what the human is talking about," Kakashi muttered, pushing off of the column and dropping to all fours. He began stalking over to Jiraiya, circling him like a predator. "…is why are their three large animals talking to him rather than eating him for dinner?"

"Um," seeing the wolf-like man, now on all fours, he noticed that a great deal of the humanity displayed earlier had now vanished. A trickle of fear began to work its way down Jiraiya's spine, causing him to back away from the silvery predator, "I would have put it less menacingly."

"I wouldn't," Kakashi chuckled, a sound that was much closer to a throaty growl that went up and down in octave.

"Kakashi!" Iruka snapped, grabbing the wolf by the scruff of his neck and yanking him to his feet. The badger's pawed hands were enormous, and Jiraiya assumed that the mild-mannered majordomo could toss Kakashi around like a stuffed animal if he wanted to. "Behave!" the badger swatted the wolf on the nose, just like an owner would do to an unruly pet.

"Ouch…" the wolf walked back over to his column, rubbing his injured nose with the back of his paw.

"Now," Iruka turned to Kiba, "Go and fetch the man a towel, if you would."

The dog nodded, bounding off with surprising speed and silence as he disappeared into the shadows which hid the rest of the castle from view.

"Alright," Iruka sighed, turning back to the human, "You asked what is going on?"

"Yes!" Jiraiya nodded, slightly less panicked now that Iruka had created some semblance of order.

"You have just become the first human in two centuries to bear witness to the curse that has had a hold of this castle for so many years," the badger explained.

"You mean to tell me that you…" Jiraya pointed to the badger, "And you!" he pointed to the wolf, "Are descendants of the Kingdom of Konoha?"

"Descendants?" Kakashi laughed cruelly, "Try leftovers."

"I don't understand…" Jiraiya looked for elaboration.

The duty of explaining fell upon Iruka, because Kakashi snarled in disgust at the human and vanished into the darkness. "We are all that is left of those who were cursed," the majordomo explained, his features turning sorrowful. "This was once a thriving, bustling palace filled with happy servants and a happy king. Now?" Iruka motioned around himself to the empty hall and the castle in disrepair, "There are so few of us left."

"You mean to tell me that you are the original castle dwellers?" Jiraiya marveled.

"Such is the nature of curses," Iruka nodded solemnly, the motion slow and labored, "We have seen countless years and very little to be hopeful of."

"Incredible…" the scholar breathed, then, looking ashamed of himself, and scratched the back of his head, "I'm sorry, not to say that your predicament is anything to be amazed of, but think of all the things you have seen! The knowledge this place must hold."

"Oh, yes!" Iruka looked quite pleased, grinning from ear to ear, "The castle has a most extensive library, a private collection of rare artifacts… and of course these are also the master's quarters. He keeps many heirlooms and pieces to himself."

"I'm back!" Kiba returned, running up with a towel between his teeth. The dog dropped the fabric at Jiraiya's feet before rising, returning to his bi-pedal stance. Iruka shot the mutt a disapproving look. "What?" Kiba whined, the noise particularly canine and high-pitched, "I got a towel for him!"

"Have you lost all common sense," Iruka sighed, "Why would you put it in your mouth?"

"Cause I can run faster with my hands free?" Kiba offered weakly.

Picking up the towel and trying to avoid the large spot covered with drool, the white haired scholar proceeded to dry himself off the best he could. "It's fine," he chuckled, unable to look at Kiba without seeing a lovable pet from out of his childhood, "Thank you!"

"See!" Kiba pointed, "That is why I've been looking for! Is it so hard to just say thank you once, I don't know, every hundred years!?"

"Yes, well," Iruka stiffened, his back going rigid as he looked down at the boy, "Perhaps when you earn it."

"Bah!" Kiba swiped a paw at the badger, dismissing his elitist notions, "You'll never be happy."

"I'm always happy!" Iruka protested, "It's my eternal pleasure to make certain that the Master is taken care of!"

No sooner had Iruka spoke than there was a loud slamming noise. Doors at the back of the atrium sung inward, giving Jiraya a view of the storm outside as it raged. Winds whipped into the hall, plunging everything back into darkness as they extinguished the gaslights. Lightning flashed, illuminating the faces of Iruka and Kiba, and the fear that was apparent in their eyes caused Jiraya's blood to run cold.

"Oh, dear…" Iruka whispered, takinga step back.

Kiba's tail tucked entirely between his legs, and he let out a soft whine as he ran off to the fair corner of the atrium, hidden from Jiraya's sight, though when the flash of lightning had dimmed… the old man could see nothing.

The doors slammed shut, and there was the slow, steady sound of padded footsteps. They were headed right for Jiraiya, heralding the coming of something large. He could hear breathing, deep and resonating. There was an intense smell of heavy musk in the air, like spices and fallen leaves; it was so thick that the air itself seemed to be consumed by the presence.

"Kakashi told me that a toad had wandered into the castle," a deep voice growled, "And here I find you talking to it, Iruka? Is there something I need to know?"

"No, Master," the badger muttered weakly, "The human just stumbled into the castle because of the storm."

"Is that sooooo?" the deep voice purred. The heavy footsteps were circling the old man now, and Jiraiya felt the cold grip of fear take claim of him.

"How did you come to find this castle… human?" the last word was spat out like it was a vulgarity. The white haired scholar could feel the hot rush of air against his neck as the unknown monster spoke.

"My horse…" the old man's throat was so dry that his voice cracked, "My horse bolted. I had no where else to go. I only need shelter til the storm passes, then I'll go. I swear!"

"Oh, no…" the voice drew out the word into an unbearable silence, "I insist you must accept our hospitality for longer than that!" There was the sound of snapping teeth directly in front of Jiraiay's face, he could feel the air move against his skin and imagined that had the beast been even a fraction off… then Jiraiya probably would have been missing his nose.

"I couldn't impose," Jiraiya took a step back, "Besides, I'm needed at a convention in the morning. Very important research I have to discuss."

At that moment the lights flared back to life, revealing the creature standing before him. It was the most terrifying beast Jiraiya had ever seen. The monster was head and shoulders taller than Iruka, and the badge was over six foot tall. That meant this monster was possibly pushing seven feet… and it looked so much more terrifying than a badger in a vest.

The monster looked like a fox, though dark and menacing. It had blood red eyes with golden pupils, fur the color of the sun, but it was tinged with streak of crimson, bright as fresh blood. At first, Jiraiya thought the monster was wearing heavy robes made of fur, but then he realized that they were tails! The monster had nine of them! Four tails hung down around his legs, creating the illusion of an open robed-skirt; two tails were draped over his shoulder creating a vest; another two tails were tied around his waist like a sash; and the ninth tail swayed slowly behind the beast like normal, back and forth, almost hypnotizing slow and always moving.

Jiraiya's gaze couldn't help but follow the swaying tail; it kept him from looking at the creatures face which was a gold, emotionless visage: sharp and angular with thick, black whiskers and a deadly gaze that stabbed the old man's heart with icy terror.

"I insist," the beast grinned, showing sharp teeth… especially force, gleaming white incisors, "You'll stay. We can't have you telling other humans what you have seen hear."

The monster reached out a massive, clawed hand and picked up the white haired old man by the front of his clothes, dragging him off into the darkness. Jiraiya's cries for help were drowned out by the thunderous symphony of the storm that raged around them. Kiba and Iruka could only look on helpless, unable to help the old man. He was now in the clutches of the Kyuubi, Master of Castle Kyu; there was no helping him now.

* * *

**A/N - And this chapter is where I MAY or MAY NOT lose readers.**

**Yes, I decided to make a large portion of the cast into anthro-esque animals. No, this is not a furry flick. No, there will be no kink, beastiality type scenes. I was always kind of wondering what Disney was doing with Beauty and the Beast, and I figure Belle must have had a thing for yiffing (cause after all, she fell in love with a furry). Still, wanted to use this as a characterization mechanism.**

**Each of the people under the curse were doomed to live for ever as a form the showed their true heart. In my mind, animals have a lot to say as far as symbolism goes. It allows me to do something unique, rather than turn Naruto characters into house hold appliances or furniture. I am reimagining this fairy tale, so I wanted to give audiences something new, fresh, and exciting. I hope you'll stay with me for this, because there are several interesting characters that you have yet to meet, and I have plans for quite a few interactions that I think will be enjoyable. **

**Also this fic is looing to end up being about 12-15 chapters long, so it will be one of my shorter works. For people who know me, that is saying something. Still, it will be nice to tell this tale and be able to put a "completed" tag on some of my work.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here we go! New update! Hopefully it has as many humorous moments as I thought existed in my head. .**

* * *

"Hn."

Sasuke tossed the black leather bound tome onto the bed. He'd finally finished it, and the raven wasn't quite certain how he felt about it. The story was far too fantastical to be true, filled with magic spells, a prince turned into a monster, wars and castles. Sasuke had never read any other account in history that could back up this tome, but it also claimed to take place during a time when history was scare and difficult to piece together.

"There's no way to know for certain," he sighed, falling back against his pillow and looked up to the ceiling. He studied the wooden beams that held up the roof, noticing the patterns of the grain, the imperfections and the cracks. This house was old, but it was barely a few decades old and it had already started to fall apart. If this story was to be believed, then there was a castle up in the mountains, probably a ruin now.

What was it that the loud mouthed girl with pink hair had said? She'd seen stone markers that had the symbol of the Kyuubi. The golden fox…

Should he go looking for them? No. That would require asking Sakura for directions, and there was no way in hell he was going to willing start a conversation with that annoying huntress. Sasuke didn't know why, but he felt as if she were undressing him every time she looked at him. It made him feel like meat, and Sasuke Uchiha was prey for no one.

The sound of a commotion outside caused Sasuke to become distracted from his inner thoughts.

"Strange…" he muttered, sitting up and moving to the side of the bed.

People were rushing past his window, and Sasuke could hear a large hubbub developing. Normally the villagers didn't make that much noise. Yes, they often could be raucous and get on the raven's nerves, but they weren't this noisy. Getting up and throwing open the curtains on his window, Sasuke saw a horse running wildly threw the market area. It was bucking wildly, and several of the villagers were trying to subdue the creature, but to little avail.

Sighing, Sasuke pulled on his shoes and ran out the door. He pushed past the throng of villagers, making his way to the front of the crowd. Just as he had suspected: it was Jiraiya's horse. What the hell? Where was the perverted scholar and why was his horse tearing up the village?

"Someone grab the reins!" a woman yelled.

From the sidelines, a figure burst out of the crowd. A blur of red, black and pink leapt onto a market stall, leaping into the air and landing on top of the horse's back. Sasuke was impressed to see Sakura had been the one to pull of that maneuver. The girl had always come across as loud, obnoxious, and ill-mannered, but he had never expected her to actually be competent at something.

Sakura gathered up the horse's reins, pulling on them sharply and bringing the creature to a halt. The pink haired girl then nimbly leapt off the back of the horse and tied it to the post of the nearest vendor's stall. The crisis was averted and it had only taken the girl a few seconds. The villagers cheered, Sakura bowed, and the crowd started disbursing.

With a sigh, Sasuke walked over to the horse where the village elder was currently thanking Sakura for he "wondrous heroics" as he called them.

"Where's the old man?" Sasuke scoffed, "Did he get drunk and forget to tie up his horse when he got back?"

"To my knowledge, Master Sannin isn't back," the elder frowned, scratching his chin which was covered in the white bristles of a beard.

"Then… where did his horse come from?" Sasuke looked at the creature in concern.

"It was probably the storm last night," Sakura shrugged, "It isn't the first time that one our horses had broken out of the stables. The city down the mountain doesn't think very highly of us; they say we are behind the times."

"That still doesn't explain why Jiraiya's satchel is still tied to the saddle," Sasuke pointed. These people could be so dense sometimes.

"Your tutor can be a forgetful man," the elder chuckled, "I've come to learn that it is best to leave him to his own devices."

"I swear," Sasuke growled, storming off back to his house, not even finishing his train of thought. These people truly pissed him off more than they should have. For all they knew, Jiraiya was lying in a ditch somewhere because his horse had bucked him off.

Throwing open his door, Sasuke grabbed a bag out of his closest and started throwing things into it: water bottle, gloves, some food. He was going to go out there and see if he could find Jiraiya, even if he had to go all the way into the village to make certain that the old man had made it there safely. The last thing he needed was for that pervert to have gotten himself killed. If Jiraiya was gone, then Sasuke would have to go back to Tokyo, which meant going back to his father. No way in hell was he letting that happen!

Slinging the bag over his shoulder, Sasuke stalked towards his door and threw it open and found himself face to face with Sakura.

"Going out on the mountain?" she asked perkily, but that glint in her eyes was still there.

Feeling uncomfortable yet again, Sasuke merely nodded.

"You're gonna need me to guide you," she offered.

"I'd honestly rather punch you in the face," the raven smirked, pushing past the girl and walking toward Jiraiya's horse.

His comment left Sakura utter speechless, and she stood there on his front porch, gaping as the raven stalked away from her. Sakura stared at the back of his head and noticed just how much it resembled the ganders she hunted in the winter. Sasuke Uchiha was proving to be remarkably difficult to snare, but then the thrill of the hunt was the whole point of tracking something difficult.

Sasuke climbed up onto the horse, suddenly realizing that he had never actually done this before. He was accustomed to controlling ever aspect of his life, if possible, and that meant never looking ridiculous. Somehow, sitting astride a massive equestrian, Sasuke felt like he was the most ridiculous person in the village at the moment. The raven hated this horse with a passion for making him feel that way.

"You have to hit its flanks with your heels," Sakura smirked. "Are you _sure_ you don't want my help?"

"Positive," Sasuke sneered, kicking the horse to get it moving.

The black steed tossed its head before turning in the direction Sasuke pulled on the reins. He pulled the horse right across Sakura's path, and, in a most gratifying turn of events, the horse chose that moment to lift its tail and drop a payload. Taking a step back from the pile of dropping, Sakura looked utterly mortified!

Sasuke bent over to pat the horse on its neck, "Good boy, you may not be so bad after all.

* * *

Sasuke had been riding for hours without any sign of Jiraiya, and he had begun to wonder if perhaps the pervert truly had just forgotten about his horse. The white haired scholar was obsessed with women, and seeing as how Jiraiya had been going to give a lecture about breast cancer, it was possible that obsession had managed to completely override the man's priorities.

The forest was quiet, still, eerily peaceful.

Sasuke normally liked this sort of atmosphere, but somehow this silence was unnerving. There were no birds, no chirping of crickets, and even the wind seemed to be afraid to rustle the leaves in the trees. What was with this? Sasuke felt like he had stumbled across a place in the world where nothing moved, a place which time had forgotten.

Then he saw it: a small stone obelisk, about three foot talk and carved out of grey stone, and there, chiseled into the face of it, was the unmistakable mark of the Kyuubi.

"No, way…" he whispered, steering the black stallion towards the stone. Surely such a coincidence was impossible.

The horse snorted, pawing at the ground and refusing to walk in the direction of the little statue. Frustrated, Sasuke hopped off the animal, grabbing his and Jiraiya's bags, and he walked the rest of the distance. The raven knelt down to examine the relic closer. It was obviously ancient, worn and pitted from years of weather abuse; only a few flecks of the gold paint remained inside of the etching of the Kyuubi's mark, but Sasuke had to assume that this was a remarkable piece of craftsmanship.

Looking further down the path, Sasuke noticed that it forked. If he were to continue straight, it would lead him to the town, but were he to go left…

Sasuke noticed that the path to the left was lined with these stone obelisks, paced out about fifty yards or so until they disappeared off into the trees and further up the mountain. Some of them were broken in half, others had chunks missing out of them or the tips broken off, but Sasuke could tell that at one point in time this had been a major road, leading to something important.

"Hn…" he looked at the path up into the mountains. Were those hoof prints? Walking further up the left branch of the path, Sasuke could tell that a horse had been up and down this path recently. Yes, the rain had washed the tracks out and this one was hard to discern, but honestly? How many horses had been on this road last night?

"Did you go up here?" Sasuke asked the horse.

The stallion snorted and pawed the ground, looking at Sasuke like he were stupid for walking down that path.

"Why am I talking to a stupid animal?" Sasuke sighed, shouldering both packs and walking back to the horse, "Come on. Let's go find the idiot."

It took a long time to coax the horse into moving down his desired path, and if Sasuke had possessed any experience in horseback riding he might have had an easier time of it; however, that wasn't the case, so he was currently riding an unwilling mode of transportation and cursing at the beast for its stubbornness.

So after thirty minutes of fighting the struggling horse, Sasuke was finally headed down this obscure path. He noticed that the further he went along it, the more obvious it because that this was not a path, but rather a paved road. Carved pavestones were now visible, and the horse's hooves clopped on them, echoing out through the silence.

Sasuke was once again hit with that sense of foreboding when he saw the massive gate looming up before him. "What in the hell…" the boy breathed. "How does no one know about this place?"

Or perhaps they did? The villagers were always whispering ominous things about what lay at the top of the mountain. That still didn't explain why archeologists hadn't swarmed to this site, nor did it explain why history books and documentaries didn't exist about something that was this… massive! And the gates where nothing compared to the palace that came into view as the horse crested the top of the hill.

It was one of the largest palace compounds Sasuke had ever seen. It reminded him of pictures he had seen of the Forbidden City, though the architecture was different. There were large, flat, sweeping roofs that stacked on top of one another to create a large central structure, several smaller, rectangular towers were scattered around it, and they were all surrounded by a large walls that ended at the entrance to the massive pagoda structure.

Two, towering gates barred any entrance into the castle, dwarfing Sasuke and his horse. The raven hopped out of the saddle, landing on his feet and looking up at the massive doorway. Would he even be able to push them open?

"Jiraiya!?" he called out, looking around. There was no sign of the man anywhere.

There was a whiney from the horse as the black stallion whipped its head around nervously. Something had the creature spooked, but Sasuke wasn't going to let the creature get away. He was smart enough to tie the reins off to a peg that jutted out of the stone wall. There was several pegs driven into the stone at the same heights, all the way down the wall, so Sasuke assumed that this was their intended purpose.

Tuning back to the massive entrance to the palace, Sasuke called out again, "Jiraiya!?"

No answer.

Taking in his surroundings, Sasuke noted that they were rather well kept. Weren't these supposed to be ruins? The gates on the road had been in disrepair, swung in on their hinges, splintered and cracked; however, the palace and its grounds looked in remarkable order. Yes, you could tell that the place as ancient. Slats were missing form the roof in some places, mortar was worn away by time, mold was on the walls… but the bushes were trimmed, the stones were swept, the landscaping looked watered. What was going on around here?

"Jiraiya?!" He called out again, though Sasuke didn't know what he was expecting.

The raven nearly jumped out of his skin when the doors to the palace suddenly opened with a "whooshing" sound. They hadn't opened all the way, but it was wide enough for Sasuke to see inside, not that it did much good because the interior was completely dark. Peeking his head inside, Sasuke tried to get his eyes adjusted to the pitch blackness.

He still couldn't see anything. "Hello?" Sasuke called out.

In answer to his greeting, the palace atrium lit up in a blaze of light. Gas lamps flared to life on the walls, revealing the room and nearly blinding Sasuke since his eyes had been fully dilated. Blinking rapidly to fight bad the tears that had sprung up into his eyes, the raven looked around blurrily at the room he could now see. There were two rows of massive red columns that ran the length of the room, running parallel to a black carpet that ran from the entrance all the way to the other end of the room before it split of to the left and right where two more sets of massive doors waited.

At the far left, Sasuke caught a glimpse of movement. It looked like something long and white, a ponytail? Had it been Jiraiya?

"Jiraiya! If you're in here this isn't funny!" Sasuke growled, walking into the atrium and looking around. He heard the creak of something moving, and had to jump out of the way as the doors closed on their own accord. "The hell?" he muttered.

There was another sound from the end of the room, and Sasuke saw the pair of doors at the left had opened up, revealing another lit up room. Letting out a deep breath to calm down his nerves, Sasuke followed the black carpet tentatively.

Everything inside this castle looked like it was in constant use. The floors were polished, even though they had seen years of foot traffic. The gas lamps were working, how many years had this place been around? Were the gas lamps a new addition? The raven was so confused about this place that he couldn't even begin to wrap his mind around it. Perhaps Jiraiya had felt the same way, and that was why the old man hadn't come back? That would explain a great deal; there was enough here to distract anyone with a keen interest in acquiring knowledge.

Walking through the second set of doors, Sasuke caught a glimpse of what he had been following. It was definitely white, but it looked more like an animal. "A dog?" he wondered, hurrying up to see if he couldn't get a better look.

Sasuke found himself breaking into a quick stride, almost a run, as he tried to keep up with the creature. It wove in and out of rooms: a study, a corridor lined with ancient suits of armor that predated anything Sasuke had seen in museums, a large room with several tables that had probably been used for serving tea or hosting parties, down a flight of stairs into a more dimly lit part of the castle. These rooms were dank, the air cold and moist, and it was obviously not where the guests were supposed to go. These looked like barracks for housing soldiers, or perhaps detaining people?

The animal disappeared around a corner, and Sasuke hurried to follow.

Pushing through a half closed door, the raven found himself in a dead end. It was a room with stone walls, no windows, nothing but a single oil lamp which cast a very small circle of light into the darkness.

"Hello?" Sasuke called out hesitantly, "Is there anyone here? Here, puppy… I'm not going to hurt you."

"Sasuke?" a voice croaked out of the darkness. "Is that you?"

"Jiraiya!" the boy exclaimed, rushing over to grab the lamp and pulling it off the wall. He hurried over to where the sound had come from and he was horrified to see the old man was shackled to the stone wall. Jiraiya looked horrible. His clothes were dirty and smelled of mildew, his hair was clumped and matted, and his face was pale. "What happened?" Sasuke asked urgently, looking for a way to undo the manacles on the scholar's wrists.

"Sasuke?" Jiraiya blinked, still not believing that the boy was in front of him, "You shouldn't be here. You need to go… now!"

"Bullshit," the raven growled, "What the hell is going on with this place."

"It's the curse," Jiraiya tried to explain, though the man looked half crazed. He must not have eaten or slept since he left the village.

"Who did this?" Sasuke looked around but there was nothing to force into the locks, and he couldn't find a key. There was no way he was getting these manacles off without some help.

"The master of this castle," Jiraiya whispered. "If he finds you… no, you have to run boy! Go back to the village and get help!"

"Have you seen those people," Sasuke scoffed, yanking on the chains, "They're useless. They don't even come up into the mountains."

"You can't stay here!" Jiraiya urged, kicking out at Sasuke to try and get the boy to understand, "If he finds you-" A roar echoed through the corridors, silencing Jiraiya as he looked horrified towards the doorway.

"What the hell was that?" Sasuke stopped trying to free Jiraiya and turned towards the noise.

"Foolish boy," a voice called out from the darkness, "I try to help you out and you end up getting yourself into trouble."

Turning to Jiraiya, Sasuke furrowed his brow, "What are you talking about?"

"That wasn't me," the old scholar whispered, "That wasn't me…"

"Then who…" Sasuke sudden froze as he heard something sharp click on the stone floor behind him. Whirling around, the raven held up the lantern to see what had made the noise and he stared straight into a massive wall of fluff. "Huh?"

A snarl answered his confusion, and Sasuke looked up to see the most horrifying thing he'd ever witness. It was a monstrous looking creature that towered over him, with a mouthful of teeth and hands the size of his head. Sasuke didn't even hesitate; he lashed out at the thing with the lantern, hoping to smash and break it over the beast, setting it on fire. Sasuke had seen enough horror movies, and that always seemed to work.

It didn't in this case.

With speed unlike anything Sasuke had ever witness, the huge beast leapt backwards, completely evading the attack. A cruel sneer played across the beast's feature, and Sasuke heard a deep, rumbling chuckle escape the creature's throat. It was laughing at him.

Sasuke hated being mocked! With a surge of anger-fueled adrenaline, Sasuke pulled his arm back and threw the lantern at the monster, aiming it right for the beast's massive chest. There was no way the thing could dodge this time.

Except the beast didn't dodge. Displaying surprising reflexes and dexterity, the monster's paw reached out and snatched the lantern by its handle, holding it aloft in the air with a grin of triumph. The flickering, yellow firelight played a menacing game of lights and shadows across the creature's face, highlighting a sharp fangs and crimson eyes…

The beast's golden and sanguine fur caught the light from the lamp and seemed to shimmer, it looked as if the beast were made of fire… something drawn from the depths of hell, immensely powerful, highly exotic and strangely alluring. If Sasuke hadn't been completely frightened at this point, he might have been able to admire just how remarkably lethal and majestic of a predator this creature before him was.

"What are you doing here?" the monster spoke.

It spoke! Sasuke's brain was plowing into overload. So many things had been happening today, things that defied all logic and reason. The Uchiha couldn't bring himself to accept it. This was not the way the world worked.

"Are you stupid boy?" the beast snarled, "I asked what you are doing in my castle!?"

"I came for my tutor," Sasuke bit out, irritated from being yelled at. Is father liked to yell, and Sasuke hated his father. He loathed Fugaku Uchiha with all his might.

"Heh," the beast curled a lip at the boy in a manner that looked very much like a smirk, "You're obviously very brave… or stupid. I'm thinking it's the later."

Sasuke didn't know what to say. He had about a thousand retorts, but none of them would prolong his life expectancy. Still, his pride wouldn't allow him to remain silent, "You know what they say… takes one to know one."

The monster's face turned into a mask of cold fury, "I'd watch my tone if I were you."

"Or what?" Sasuke smirked; he had the upper hand now. Score one for the Uchiha; his smirk was far more impressive.

In a flash, the giant creature was in Sasuke's face, his fangs bared and his hot breath rushing against Sasuke's pale skin. There was a smell of saliva, but also of thick musk… heavy on the air. Sasuke also caught a faint scent of chestnuts, which he found odd.

"Get out of my castle," the monster's voice was practically dripping with lethal intent.

"Not without, Jiraiya," Sasuke said as sternly as he could, crossing his arms, but he couldn't help taking a step back. Being that close to the monster had his pulse racing and his heart pounding out of fear. He refused to show it, but something in those dark, red eyes told Sasuke that this monster could probably smell his fear.

"The man is my guest," the creature smiled, showing all of his brilliant, sharp teeth.

"Some accommodations," Sasuke looked at the chained up Jiraiya, "Have you even fed him?"

"He is no longer your concern!"

"Bullshit!" Sasuke snapped, "Let him go!"

"Why?" the monster grinned, "I could lock you up next to him and be done with it."

Sasuke froze. He honestly hadn't considered that. In all the thoughts going through his brain, death and physical harm at the forefront, he hadn't expected that this monster would take him captive. Though it did give him an idea. The raven had no idea if it would work, but it couldn't hurt to try.

"I'll take his place," Sasuke said finally.

It wasn't something that he wanted to do, but Sasuke could see that Jiraiya wasn't fairing well. The old man didn't need to be in the cold and the dark. This moist air would doubtlessly make the pervert sick, which would severely hinder Sasuke's plans for the future. If Jiraiya died of illness… it was back to Tokyo.

"Why would you want to do that?" the monster looked confused.

"Because," Sasuke stumbled for a good reason, "He's… he's a brilliant doctor. People are expecting him to reveal a new medical treatment. Many people will die if he stays locked up here."

"And what about you?" the creature slowly stalked around Sasuke, looking him up an down much like a predator would its prey, "Would no one miss you if you were to stay here?"

"No…" Sasuke said, shocked by how true those words felt.

Jiraiya would feel bad; Sasuke was certain of that, but the man wouldn't necessarily miss him. Sasuke's father hadn't bothered to check in on him, and his brother, Itachi, was off in America studying abroad. His mother had died, and he had no friends. Sasuke wouldn't be missed… except by Sakura, and Sasuke could honestly do without ever seeing that pink haired bimbo ever again.

"How sad," the monster purred with delight, obviously not at all sad. It finished making a full circle around Sasuke and seemed to make a decision. "Fine!" it barked, "Kakashi! Take this old man out of my sight. Send him on his way."

Crouching down low and holding up the lantern to Jiraiya's face, the monster spoke low and menacingly, "If you tell anyone about what you saw here, I will know, I will find you… and I _will_ kill you."

Another creature appeared out of the darkness to Sasuke's left. It was a tall, silver-furred creature that resembled a wolf. Sasuke involuntarily took a step back, until he realized that he was closer to the beast. Where there monsters everywhere in this castle?! Staggering back towards the far wall, Sasuke watched the creatures carefully.

"What about Sasuke," Jiraiya groaned, his arms dropping to his sides when the shackles were removed.

"Forget about him," the beast chuckled, "He'll… be _just_ fine."

* * *

**A/N -**

**Alright! Moving the story right along and ending in what I feel to be a very good set-up point for the next chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. Leave me a review, and the rest of the story is going to start deviating from the standard script of the fairytale you know and love. Yes, there will be moments you recognize, but I have new drama in store! I'm excited!**

**Also, if you like this story, please check out my other Naruto fanfiction that is currently going on: Play for Your Life. It's pretty good, if I do say so myself, AND it updates daily. Yep. Cause I'm awesome like that.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ok! new update! We are 1/3 of the way through! I love progress.**

**Eh... I'm not so happy with this chapter, but I'm excited for writing the next one. This chapter has some very important pieces of information, and it gets us from point A to point B, so... enjoy!**

* * *

Sasuke was alone.

Jiraiya had been carried out by the silver wolf. The lupine creature had thrown the old man over its shoulder, as if he weighed little to nothing, and walked out of the cellar without a word, though Jiraiya had been practically sobbing at that point, making more than enough noise for everyone gathered.

The raven was now face-to-face with the Kyuubi… well, face-to-furry chest. The beast stood a good head and shoulders taller than Sasuke, which meant he had to look up to glare at the creature. Sasuke hated having to look up at anyone, so this only served to fuel the boy's rising temper.

"So what now," he asked icily.

"Iruka will show you to your room," the golden fox smirked, apparently amused by something.

"My room?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you going to chain me to the wall?"

"Would you prefer that?" there was a sadistic twinkle in the Kyuubi's eye, "I didn't peg you for the type."

"What type?" Sasuke growled, completely oblivious to the suggestive undertones in the monster's voice.

"Well, I suppose I could do it?" there was that annoying, toothy grin. The beast was mocking him, and Sasuke didn't appreciate it.

"Do what?!" the raven snapped.

"Well, I hadn't planned on it," the Kyuubi shrugged. It was a rather elegant motion; it's two tails that it had draped over its shoulders seemed to mirror the motion, so it was almost like the Kyuubi's entire form had shifted, throwing around golden glimmers of light.

"Stop toying around!" Sasuke growled, his temper getting the better of him.

"My, my…" the Kyuubi bent down, it's face so close to Sasuke's that the raven had to take a step backward. "I didn't realize you were so eager to become a sex slave."

"The hell!?" Sasuke had his back against the wall faster than he had ever moved in his life. How in the world had the conversation gotten to this point? Feeling his heart hammering in his chest, Sasuke began to wonder if he had suddenly made a very grave mistake; then he heard the unmistakable sound of laughter.

It was a soft, fluttering sound, and it was coming from the Kyuubi. The monster was chuckling at Sasuke's reaction… a purring chuckle, both condescending and subdued in nature.

"Go to hell!" Sasuke spat, "Keep your sick jokes to yourself."

"At least I have a sense of humor," the monster grinned, walking towards the door. "As I said before, Iruka will show you to your room." The fox-like creature gestured to another figure which had just appeared at the doorway.

It was a badger, a very large badger in a waistcoat. The creature was bi-pedal and humanoid like the wolf from before, and it had a tuft of fur pulled back in a spiked ponytail. This must be whom the monster was talking about: Iruka. Sasuke could tell that the badger, despite having the form of an animal, did everything that it could to maintain its humanity. Iruka was probably a much more decent individual than his master, but Sasuke was not about to give in to any orders.

"No." Sasuke sat on the floor of the cellar, crossing his arms. "I'll stay here, thank you."

This act of defiance seemed to have its desired effect. Sasuke grinned in triumph as the Kyuubi halted in its tracks; the monster's entire body stiffened, hair rising on the back of its neck. "That was not a _request_."

"I don't take orders very well," Sasuke smirked, proud to once again have the upper hand.

"You _will_ accept my hospitality," the monster growled. It was low and menacing, far more effective than anything Sasuke had managed to throw out during their argument.

The raven actually found himself having to swallow, forcing down a sudden wave of fear; in the heat of his anger, Sasuke had forgotten that the creature before him was actually quite lethal. If the Kyuubi had any desire to do so, it could kill Sasuke without hesitation.

In his best attempt to hide his emotions, Sasuke stuck his nose up in the air. "I'm fine right here, besides this castle is such a dump I doubt the rooms look much better than the dungeons."

Iruka looked mortified as the words came from Sasuke's mouth. The badger shook his head worriedly, taking a step back from the now violently shaking form of the Kyuubi.

In a split second, Sasuke realized that he might have made a mistake.

"FINE!" The Kyuubi roared, whirling around snarling at the raven. "Rot in here for all I care!" The beast pulled back its arm, the one that was still holding the lantern Sasuke had thrown, and it smashed the light source against the stone wall. The oil ignited in an instant, flaring and illuminating the Kyuubi; the beast looked like hell spawn as the flames radiated around its quivering rage.

The monster spun to face Iruka, "He doesn't leave this room! Do you understand?"

"Yes, my lord!" The badger cowered. "Should I have his meal…"

"He doesn't eat!" Grabbing the handle on the cellar door, the Kyuubi slammed it shut, stalking off with a roar.

Sasuke heard the latch fall into place and realized that he was now locked inside this dank, cold room that was slowly plunging into darkness as the last remnants of oil burned away. The raven pulled his knees up under his chin and wrapped his arms tightly around his legs. Yeah… he'd definitely miscalculated that.

* * *

"Master," Iruka hurried after the enraged Kyuubi, "Surely you can understand that the boy is just being rebellious? I'm sure he meant no disrespect. Perhaps after some food he would be more approachable?" Actually, Iruka didn't believe that for a moment, but if he could get his master to calm down then he was willing to try anything.

"Save your pleas for someone else, Iruka. I have no desire to hear them." Golden haired beast stormed up the steps leading from the cellar and proceded to stomp his way through the castle, his rage building with each step. "That bastard has the audacity to trespass here, and then he insults my home? No! He can starve for all I care."

"He just lost his friend, and he's going to be here for who knows how long," the badger persisted, trying to reach the part of the Kyuubi that still had common sense. "Anyone would react badly to such a situation. Times have changed! People do not hold the same ideals… he probably didn't even realize what an insult it was to your pride."

"This castle had stood for thousands of years!" the Kyuubi snarled, throwing his hands wide to encompass everything around him. They were back inside the palace atrium, so it was rather grandiose gesture to behold. The monster's voice echoed through the hall, bouncing off the walls and dancing through the rows of massive, red columns. "My father build this place… he entrusted it into my keeping, and despite time… despite war… despite my curse!" The Kyuubi slammed a fist into the nearest column, causing it to shudder violently from the impact. "Despite everything the years have thrown against me! This castle stands testament to my father's honor, to _my _honor!"

"Yes, my lord! I understand that!" Iruka bowed, trying not to anger his master further, "But I'm certain that the boy does not!"

"Then he is a fool," the Kyuubi snarled, walking off towards the massive doors on the right of the Atrium.

Iruka halted, knowing better than to follow. These doors led to his master's private chambers, and no one was allowed beyond those doors. Centuries ago, the Kyuubi had claimed a large portion of Castle Kyu for his own territory. The beast had locked himself away in that area, refusing to speak to any of his subjects and rarely taking meals. For years, no one in the caster knew what their master was up to, what he had been doing.

Many decades passed, and with time Iruka had been able to coax his master back into socializing with his subjects, but one law still remained: no one entered the Kyuubi's chambers.

Kiba had once broken that rule, hoping to goad his master into playing a game. The resulting punishment had been harsh… and cruel. The Kyuubi had maimed the brunette canine, breaking several of his bones. Kiba had been confined to a bed for weeks as he recovered, and Iruka had spent months helping the dog to regain mobility. As time passed, it became apparent that the ordeal had taken a great toll on Kiba's spirit.

Every time the Kyuubi came near, Kiba would cower in fear, refusing to meet his master's eye. As the years passed, time seemed to remove the pain and the timidness from Kiba's demeanor. The canine even acted friendly and joked with the Kyuubi as if nothing between them had ever happened, but Iruka knew that something in Kiba had changed permanently. Ever since that night, Kiba never went near those doors again.

"Master," Iruka practically whispered, but he knew that the Kyuubi's amazing hearing would pick up even the faintest of sounds.

The beast halted with one of his paws on the doors. There was an moment of silence which hung in the air, during which everything seemed to stand still in time. Iruka felt that if he were to even breathe, then his master might walk through those doors and spend the next twenty years in seclusion. The thought of that terrified the badger. The servants of Castle Kyu, those few that remained, had all fought and struggled to help their master maintain some connection to his humanity. Every time the Kyuubi locked himself away, he slipped further and further down a dark path which lead to a destination that Iruka had no desire to see.

Finally the Kyuubi let out a sigh, and with it a large portion of the rage that had been burning about him like a violent aura. "What is it, Iruka?"

"May I please offer your hospitality to the boy one _final_ time?" the badger smiled hopefully. Every small step was progress. "As humans say these days: the third time is a charm?"

"Fine," the golden-haired monster growled, obviously not wanting to agree. "But I expect an apology."

"I'm certain that he will come to understand," Iruka nodded.

"I don't care if he understands," the fox said wearily. "I don't care at all." Pushing on the black-oak doors, the Kyuubi stalked into his chambers. The massive doors shut behind him, blocking the gold and crimson beast from sight.

Iruka sighed, letting out all the tension that had built up of the past few minutes. His heart was pounding, and his pulse was racing. The badger hadn't even realized it, but he'd been incredibly tense during that talk. _Surely_ this wasn't good for his health? Taking a look into a nearby mirror, Iruka was mortified to see the level of disarray his appearance had taken: his vest was wrinkled, his fur was standing on end, and he was panting close to the point of hyperventilating.

He took several deep breaths to calm himself before he straightened up, brushing his hands over his vest , and then combing a paw over his head to get his fur back into order. Once he felt presentable again, the majordomo collected his bearing and headed back down towards the cellar. Iruka hadn't witnessed much of the conversation between his master and this dark-haired boy, but the badger had a feeling that he was going to enjoy conversing with the raven almost as much as he would enjoy having a tooth pulled.

* * *

Sasuke was bored.

It was his own fault, and he knew it, but that did not stop him from huffing angrily at his predicament. Normally when he was bored, the raven would find something in his surroundings to occupy his mind: counting the tiles on the floor, cracks in a ceiling, the number of people in a gathering place; however, his surroundings were completely pitch black save for three slats of dull light which shone through the door.

They did very little to illuminate his prison, and Sasuke could only count to three so many times before his boredom came rushing back with renewed vigor, like an unwanted relative coming for a visit after you had seen them just the other month.

"Hn…" Sasuke stretched his legs out and closed his eyes. If he couldn't find anything to occupy himself with, he could always go to sleep.

The raven quickly found out that such an idea wasn't easy to implement. At first he tried to sleep with his back against the wall, but the stone was unyielding and the position hurt his neck. Next he tried laying on his side, but again, the stone refused to be comfortable. Lying on his back was useless because Sasuke swore he could hear bugs skittering around in the darkness, and at that point there was no way he could get to sleep. If he went to sleep the bugs would crawl on him, and Sasuke was repulsed by such an idea.

"See…" he muttered to himself. "If you could just keep your mouth shut sometimes… that room might have had a bed."

The thought of his bed only put Sasuke in a foul mood. If he hadn't felt the need to go and find Jiraiya, who, for being such an intelligent man, was apparently one of the biggest idiots in the world, then Sasuke could have been sleeping in his own home at this very moment. Instead he was prisoner in a run-down castle, victim to the temper tantrums of a giant fox-monster. Sasuke couldn't help be feel that the future looked rather dismal.

"I'm glad. You seem to recognize your mistake."

Sasuke sat up and turned towards the door of the cellar, "Who's there?"

"Iruka," the voice responded, "I am the castle's majordomo."

"Seriously?" Sasuke scoffed, "You know that we got rid of those titles because they made people sound ridiculous, right?"

"Just because society had become a degraded shell of its former glory," Iruka responded pointedly, "That does not mean that I have to lower myself or my station."

"Right…" Sasuke sighed, laying back on the ground for lack of something better to do.

"Am I safe in assuming that you do not enjoy spending your time in the dark?"

"Aren't you a mind reader?" Sasuke smirked.

"Charming," Iruka sighed, "I would also venture that you are hungry? Seeing as how you managed to leave your carrying bag out here?"

"What?!" Sasuke sat up and began scrambling around him, seaching blindly for his backpack. He had to have his bag! Surely he hadn't been that stupid? The raven face palmed as he remembered; he had dropped the back upon finding Jiraiya. "Great…" he muttered. "Just great!"

"Is that a, _yes_?"

"No!" Sasuke snarled, refusing to let the other know that he was stupid enough to forget the only source of food he had brought with him. Sasuke's stomach, on the other hand, had different plans, and it chose that exact moment to growl… loudly.

There was a shuffling sound, and Sasuke heard the latch on the door move. It swung open on its hinges, and a figure appeared silhouetted in the light from beyond the room. "Listen," Iruka crossed his arms, "We don't _have_ to be kind to you. The master would have had every right to kill you for trespassing, but instead he offered you his hospitality. That is something he had not done in hundreds of years."

"So I'm supposed to be his little bitch," Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "Just because the guy finally discovers manners?"

"No," Iruka fixed the boy with a pointed stare, "You should accept generosity when it is offered. What is that phrase people have today? Don't look a gift horse in the mouth?"

"That's the one," Sasuke made a gun with his index finger and thumb, using his hand to make a shooting motion at the badger to let him know that he had hit the target.

"Then, might I suggest that you do _yourself _a favor?" the creature gestured a hand to the hallway, "Accept the gift for what it is? You could very well have ended up chained to the wall."

Pushing himself up onto his feet, Sasuke brushed the dust and dirt off of his shorts and nodded. "Okay, fine!" he walked out of the cellar and glared at the badger the entire time, "Point made."

"Excellent," Iruka clapped his paws together once, pleased with Sasuke's decision. "Now, if you will follow me, I will show you to your room." The badger picked up Sasuke's backpack and then walked off down the hallway, a noticeable bounce in his step.

The raven shook his head in disbelief. What had he gotten himself into?

* * *

So the palace wasn't run-down after all.

Sasuke hated to admit it, but someone around here did a very good job of maintaining the rooms. Now that he wasn't chasing after Jiraiya, and he actually had time to observe his surroundings, the raven could see that everything was dusted, swept, and practically spotless. Yes, time had taken its told on the castle in ways that were unavoidable, but other than that? This place was immaculate.

The young Uchiha was surprised that he hadn't noticed it before.

"Here we are," Iruka smiled. It was difficult to picture a smiling badger, but Sasuke knew that this was exactly how it would look. Iruka's muzzle was pulled back, revealing pointy teeth, and his eyes were slightly closed so that they appeared heavy lidded but still had a twinkle of merriment visible. "This is where you will be staying!"

The badger pushed open a screen door, revealing an ornate room filled with antiques that would probably fetch a fortune.

The room was painted a deep, russet color and the walls had polished mahogany trim, inlaid with gold and silver filigree. Silk screen painting hung on the wall, and large vases painted in vibrant mosaics sat in the two far corners. There was an old style silk futon lying on the floor, but Sasuke noted that it was pure, white silk and probably stuffed with downy feathers. The fouton would most likely be too soft for the raven to sleep comfortably, so he was grateful to see a normal bed tucked into an alcove. It had a brass bed frame, polished to a shine, and a crimson, plush comforter was draped on it, embroidered with golden thread and tassels.

To either side of the futon sat a chest made of stained balsa wood inset with mother of pearl. They were obviously a matching pair, and the polished silver that held them together probably cost a fortune. Covering the floor was a thick, luscious green carpet. It looked fluffy and enticing, so Sasuke took off his shoes so that he could run his toes through it. The carpet was easily an inch thick, and it felt so soft that the raven was certain that he could sleep on the floor and not have a problem in the world.

"Okay," he breathed, "I take it back! I'm impressed."

"I thought you might be," Iruka chuckled, "These are the chambers for one of our maids. The guest suites are much nicer."

"Wait! You're making me sleep with a maid?" Sasuke frowned, his eyebrows coming together in irritation.

"No," Iruka responded flatly. "She died… years ago."

"I'm sorry," Sasuke looked away out of embarrassment. He hated sticking his foot in his mouth, but he seemed to be doing that a lot recently.

"You couldn't have known," the badger dismissed Sasuke's apology. "There used to be hundreds of us in the castle, but now there are only eight."

"What happened?" the raven asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

"War?" Iruka walked over to one of the chests, opening it up and putting Sasuke's bag inside, "Shame? Sorrow? Illness? There is no simple answer. Some of us could live with our curse, some could not. Those of us who survived the first few decades, we began to look for ways to make life bearable… many chose poorly."

"Were all of you…" Sasuke looked for the best way to ask his question, "Animals?"

"Yes," the badger nodded. "The curse forced our bodies to represent our innermost character… forever. We cannot die naturally, but we can be killed. Our bodies can deteriorate from sickness. We can even kill ourselves. Many used that as a way out."

"That's horrible!" turning away from the badger, Sasuke covered his mouth with one of his hands. He felt a wave of nausea; the idea of someone killing themselves was something he couldn't stomach. Sasuke valued his own life far too much to ever consider something so… cowardly.

"I agree," Iruka growled, "For someone to abandon their duty, their family, and their lord all because of some selfish desire to be free of hardship?" The hair on the back of the badger's neck stood on end, and Sasuke could see anger hidden behind the creature's brown eyes.

"I take it that someone close to you…?"

"My parents," Iruka snorted, shutting the chest more forcibly than he probably should have. "They threw themselves from one of the towers."

"That's insane!" Sasuke couldn't contain his disbelief.

"That isn't even the worst part," Iruka's eyes clouded as he recalled the day his family abandoned him. "It wasn't bad enough that my parents allowed their shame to ruin their lives, forcing them to make such a dishonorable choice. No... they had to take my young brother with them."

Sasuke didn't have the words to express his sympathy, or his mortification, for what was obviously a terrible and haunting event. How could someone even live through that experience, much less still get up in the morning? Yet, here Iruka was, doing his duty and serving a tyrannical monster. Was the badger so concerned with honor that he would place it higher than himself?

"You can close your mouth, boy," Iruka said, noticing the appalled look on Sasuke's face. "It happened many centuries ago. I have had… _time, _and it has helped me to process."

"That doesn't make it right," Sasuke countered.

"Nothing will ever make it right!" Iruka barked, clenching a paw together, "But dwelling on the past only makes it impossible to embrace the future." He turned towards the wall, breathing heavily. The badger took several moments to compose himself, but once he was calm he looked back toward Sasuke and smiled, "That is why I am still here, why the few of us who survive _choose _to remain here. We all hope for a future when we can have a life that has been lifted of this burden."

"How do you know it can even _be_ lifted?" Sasuke asked skeptically, "If it's been this long, perhaps you can't."

"I refuse to believe that," Iruka smiled, "I've known the master for many years, and I have faith in him. He'll manage it someday."

Sasuke gave the badger a skeptical look. He didn't understand how someone could be so blindly loyal. From his viewpoint, Sasuke thought that every problem involving this curse could be directly linked to the Kyuubi. Wasn't he a former prince? Sasuke recalled the book Jiraiya had given him, and he remembered hearing that the curse had been placed on the castle because the prince had been selfish and uncaring. The raven felt no sympathy at all for the Kyuubi. That monster was a complete asshole, and he probably deserved his curse... but Iruka didn't.

The badger seemed like a decent enough person, even if Sasuke hadn't known him for very long. It seemed completely unfair that Iruka had lost his entire family, all because of a curse that had been placed upon one, spoiled, selfish brat of a prince. How was that fair? Who put that kind of curse on someone?

"If you think that monster is going to be breaking any curses," Sasuke chuckled, his classic smirk back on his lips, "I wouldn't hold my breath."

"The master isn't a bad person," Iruka said softly, "He's been through more than you can imagine."

"Yeah," the raven muttered, "And all of this is his fault."

"No!" The badger stamped his foot, "That's not true! He may have been cursed, but that blasted witch is the one to blame! She came under false pretenses on a day when the prince was highly vulnerable!"

"His birthday?" Sasuke scoffed, "Yeah, really vulnerable."

"It was also the day his father died," the badger frowned, giving Sasuke a stern look. "I don't know how you know so much about this castle's history, but I have a feeling you didn't know that."

Sasuke _hadn't_ know that, and the look on his face was one of complete incredulity. The kid in that story had lost his father… but on his birthday? What kind of horrible present was that? No wonder the kid had become selfish! Having lost his father, that boy would have had abandonment issues. He probably wanted to hold onto his things, afraid they would vanish if he didn't. Sasuke tried to wrap his mind around such a situation; he tried to figure out how he would have behaved. It was an impossible situation. For a kid to lose someone close to them, and on such an important day… there would be no easy way to cope.

As much as he was loathe to admit it, Sasuke was feeling sympathy for the devil, or in this case: the Kyuubi.

"So the kid was dealt a crap hand," the raven grumbled, "He was still an idiot."

"Everyone makes mistakes," the badger smiled, "You've made several in just the few short hours I've known you. To punish a child for making a mistake while grieving?" Iruka shook his head, "No… I have always blamed that witch, and I will _always_ blame her."

"_Talk about blowing fairy tales out of the water_," Sasuke thought.

In the book, the sorceress had been painted as this wise figure who'd cast judgment upon a selfish and heartless prince, but, the more of the story he heard from Iruka, Sasuke felt like it was the sorceress who had been heartless.

"Alright," Sasuke's dark eyes looked down at the floor, "So your master had a crappy life, compounded with a crappy curse. That doesn't mean he has to have a crappy attitude."

"I couldn't agree with you more," Iruka chuckled. "I've been telling him that for years."

"So what's his problem?" Sasuke wanted to hear the badger's excuse this time. He doubted it could be as good as the last one.

"Guilt," Iruka said simply. "I think the master blames himself, and from seeing how quickly you are to pass judgment upon him, I think that is a fairly accurate guess. Can you imagine how he must feel after a thousand years of watching his friends and subjects suffer because of a choice he made as a child?"

"Damn…" Sasuke muttered. It was a better excuse than the last one. If Iruka kept this up, Sasuke might very well apologize to the Kyuubi the next time he saw the brute, which was something Sasuke was steadfastly resolved against doing. The raven couldn't explained it, but he felt this intense animosity towards the Kyuubi, a consuming desire to show the monster that he, Sasuke Uchiha, was the superior person in the room.

"How do you break the curse," Sasuke asked. It was something he had been wondering for a while now, and it was one of the few things that the black leather book had failed to mention.

Iruka thought about it for a moment, scratching his head thoughtfully before he spoke. "I think that is something you should…" the badger paused, looking shocked, "I can't believe my manners! I don't even know your name."

The raven chuckled, enjoying how Iruka was horrified over something so trivial. "Sasuke," he hastily replied, hoping that the creature wouldn't have a heart attack.

"Sasuke," Iruka nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. "Well, Sasuke, some things are best left unsaid, if you know what I mean?"

"Hn," the Uchiha didn't like getting brushed off, and something about the way Iruka's eyes were sparkling told Sasuke that he wasn't going to be getting a better answer. The raven was about to protest when his stomach decided, at that moment, to growl even more loudly than it had before.

"Goodness, me!" Iruka placed a paw against his muzzle, looking mortified once again, "I really am forgetting myself today. Come on! Come on! I'll show you to the kitchen. Everyone should be eating by now anyway."

"Even the Kyuubi?" Sasuke asked, wary about meeting the beast again. The way their last encounter had gone, Sasuke was in no hurry to have a repeat performance so soon.

"The master dines in his chambers," Iruka informed him, "He prepares his own meals as well…"

"Does anyone ever eat with him?"

"No one is allowed in the master's chambers."

"Why?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "Doesn't he get lonely in there."

"Trust me on this," Iruka gave Sasuke a look that did not allow for argument. "No one is allowed in the master's chambers."

"Hn."

Sasuke hated being ordered around, and, while he liked Iruka and didn't want to insult the badger, Sasuke knew that this "rule" came from the Kyuubi. That knowledge had every molecule in Sasuke's body wanting to disobey. It was such a strong compulsion, almost as if he needed to break this rule or he would be sacrificing his pride. Still, Sasuke was wary. Iruka had adopted a tone which frightened Sasuke ever so slightly. Something about the way the badger had looked, the way his eyes had scrunched in fear, told Sasuke that this was a rule with a very important purpose.

Which was all the more reason why Sasuke wanted to break this rule. The raven sighed, shaking his head and wondering if he had developed a masochistic streak and was somehow unaware of it until now. Even more unsettling? Sasuke found that his mind was already devising a way to get into the Kyuubi's room. He only had one problem…

Sasuke had no idea where it was.

* * *

**A/N - **

**Okay! So, not such a bad chapter. A few decent reveals, and I'm certain you can probably see how this story is going to start deviating from the standard fairy tale. My goal with this story is to offer you something familiar, while still managing to create something new and exciting. If I told you the same story as the disney version, then there really wouldn't be any surprises, now, would there?**

**Hope you enjoyed! Leave me a Review to let me know how I'm doing.**

**Also, don't forget to check out my other Naruto fiction: Play for Your Life (it updates on a daily basis)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry for the lengthy time it took to update, but I've been focused on my other story: A Change of Spirit. I haven't forgotten you though! Here! have the longest chapter yet!**

**Disclaimer: Slight hint of citrus, like perfume! You can smell it, but that's about it. Yeah, if you didn't know already, this story is boy x boy love. (I think that is obvious though)**

* * *

Growing up in a rich family, Sasuke had been to dozens of restaurants, eating all kinds of food, and been privileged enough to tour many different kitchens, but he had never before seen anything like this.

The kitchen of Castle Kyu was a large, open room with an enormous trench cutting through the middle of it. The trench was lined with black, volcanic stones that created the largest fire pit Sasuke had come across in his travels. A bed of glowing red embers sparked and crackled, casting a hue of rosy light over the entire room, which had several low tables and cushions scattered about for the servants to eat at and converse.

Pots full of steaming soups, pans with grilling vegetables, and metal racks with cooking meats were seated within the bed of coals, the mixture of aromas swirling together and creating a harmony of delicious sensations. Sasuke hadn't realized just how hungry he was, but upon entering the kitchen he had to work overtime to control himself. The smells made him practically want to salivate.

Iruka led him over to a table where several other creatures were seated. They all looked up from their meals to stare at Sasuke, and the raven suddenly felt very self-conscious underneath the scrutiny of so many intense gazes. There were more creatures than Sasuke had expected. He saw the silver wolf from earlier, the one who had carried Jiraiya out of the dungeons. His one eye followed Sasuke's every movement, but that didn't stop the creature from continuing to devour his meal.

Next to the wolf was a chocolate colored canine, he had shaggy brown fur over most of his body which wasn't unusual, but underneath his eyes were two dagger-like patches of crimson fur, which made the creature look rather primitive or tribal. Sasuke did his best not to stare, but the dog just grinned at the boy's discomfort.

"Good evening, everyone," Iruka smiled reaching a paw behind Sasuke's back and forcing the boy forward. "I would like to introduce, Sasuke. He's going to be staying with us."

"Great," the wolf muttered. "Now the master is going to be in a foul mood on a daily basis."

"Kakashi!" Iruka snapped. "Be polite. Sasuke is the master's guest, and you would do well to remember that."

"Sure, sure," the wolf grinned, showing his fangs.

"You've met Kakashi, he's the master's manservant," Iruka sighed, dismissing the wolf. "The dog next to him, with the obnoxious grin, is Kiba, our gatekeeper."

"Nice to meetcha," Kiba bobbed his head in acknowledgement.

"Yeah," Sasuke muttered, looking around the room at the other creatures.

"This is Neji," Iruka pointed to a rather tall creature who was leaning against the wall, drinking a bowl of soup cupped between a pair of hooves. Sasuke imagined that it took a lot of skills to use hooves to do anything, especially hold things. Neji was a horse, taller than most of the others in the room. He was silvery white, with a mane of brown hair that fell around his shoulders. He spared a glance in Sasuke's direction, flashing a pair of pale eyes, then he looked back down at his food without a word.

"Ah, yes…" Iruka cleared his throat, "Neji isn't much for conversation. He primarily deals with keeping up the castle grounds."

"What is going on here?" a voice bit out from the doorway.

Sasuke turned to see a horrid looking man standing at the entrance to the kitchen. He looked like a lizard, or a snake, dressed in a suit of black scale armor. The reptile's natural scales were pale as moonlight, but sickly and sinister. He had a pair of dark, devious eyes and a sneer on his features as he looked at Sasuke, "What is a _human_ doing in here?"

Iruka rolled his eyes as if this were nothing out of the ordinary, "Sasuke, meet Orochimaru, captain of the guard that no longer exists."

"Watch your tone, Iruka," the lizard hissed threateningly. "If the master finds out about this little pet of yours, it's going to be your head."

"Hey!" Sasuke growled. "I'm no one's _pet_!"

"Heh heh," Orochimaru stalked over to Sasuke, his moves sleek and silent until he was face to face with the boy, "You've got fire. Pity I'm going to have to kill you."

"Enough!" Iruka's paw pressed firmly against Orochimaru's chest, shoving the lizard back a few steps. "Sasuke is the _master's_ guest, and you will not be laying a hand upon him."

The reptile's eyes blinked, a clear set of eyelids sliding over them, followed by a solid pair. It was a disconcerting sight, but Sasuke could tell that the creature was surprised by that information. "I see…" Orochimaru's tongue flicked out impatiently. "My _apologies_." The words were spat out venomously, and then the creature stalked out of the room without another word.

"God that snake gives me the creeps," Kiba shuddered, his fur standing on end. "Why does the master keep him around?"

"Orochimaru had served this castle longer than most of us," Iruka's tone was stern, even though Sasuke could tell that the badger didn't care for the reptile either. "He is the master's advisor, and as such deserves your respect."

"Sure," Kiba barked, his form of laughter echoing through the kitchen. "I'll get right on that!"

Sasuke was content to stand and observe, but his stomach apparently had other ideas. It chose that moment to growl, loudly, and Sasuke cursed the heavens. Uchiha's did not show signs of discomfort or weakness, especially not in front of strangers. He assumed that rule was doubly important if the room full of strangers just happened to be a group of monstrous creatures that could decide that they wanted to eat him at any moment.

"Where is my head today," Iruka sighed. "Surely you are hungry, here, let me get you something…"

"No." Kakashi said firmly, slamming his bowl down on the table.

"What?" Iruka looked angry, his eyes thunderous as he stared at the wolf.

"I said, no." Kakashi repeated, getting up from his seat and staring impassively at the badger. "You will not serve this boy. It is not your place."

"But!" Iruka sputtered.

"No." Kakashi repeated. "He has hands. Let him serve himself."

"Hey," Sasuke spoke up. He was right there, and he was more than capable of taking care of himself.

"What?" Kakashi turned to stare at the raven. "You're hungry, yes?"

Sasuke nodded.

"Then be my _guest_," the wolf gestured towards the fire pit with a clawed hand.

With a huff, Sasuke stalked over to the large trench that was filled with cooking food. The heat was intense and he didn't see any utensils for grabbing the obviously hot containers or food off of the fire. Looking around in confusion, Sasuke heard several chuckles from behind him. They were laughing at him, which only served to make the Uchiha's temper flare.

He was no one's source of amusement. This was unacceptable.

"Let me help you," a voice said next to him.

Sasuke hadn't even heard anyone approach, and he turned with a start to find a small, brightly colored animal standing next to him. The creature had short, pointed ears and bright, crimson colored fur covering most of its body, except for its face which was mostly white fur, except for a mask of crimson around its eyes. It took Sasuke a moment to figure out just what kind of animal this person resembled, it could have been a raccoon, a bright red raccoon that was wearing a maroon colored shirt and a pair of black hakama; then Sasuke saw its large, bushy tail which was ringed with circles of red and black fur.

"A red panda?" Sasuke mused, unaware that he had said it out loud until the words escaped his lips.

"Yes," the creature nodded. "Very impressive."

"Sorry," Sasuke frowned. "I didn't mean to…"

"To what?" the panda looked at him curiously. "It is what I am." He handed Sasuke a plate covered with vegetables, rice, and meat which he had prepared with surprising skill and dexterity, grabbing things from the fire with his bare hands despite the heat.

"Thank you," Sasuke gave a bow of his head, which was about as respectful as he ever got.

"Do not mention it," the small creature said, returning to the fire pit and making another plate, placing it on a tray. He repeated this several times until the tray was piled high with food, and then with an amazing display of balance and skill, he hoisted the tray onto his shoulder and walked out of the room.

Sasuke watched the bright, crimson creature walk away and was surprised that the panda seemed more human than animal.

"Who?" Sasuke pointed towards the doorway.

Iruka smiled, "That was Gaara. He's…"

"The maid," Kiba offered.

"The chef," Neji muttered.

"Obsessive compulsive," Kakashi growled, taking a bite out of a delicious looking piece of meat.

"The master's best friend," Iruka finally decided upon.

"He seems different," Sasuke frowned, walking over to one of the tables and setting his plate down. He grabbed a cushion, making himself comfortable before he remembered that he didn't have any utensils to eat with. Looking around he noticed that all of the animals were using either their hands or drinking out of a bowl. _When in Rome_, Sasuke thought to himself with a sigh, picking up a piece of meat with his hands and putting it into his mouth. This was so uncivilized.

"Different," Kiba laughed again. "That's a nice way of putting it."

"Kiba!" Iruka smacked the dog on his muzzle.

"Ow!" Kiba grabbed his nose and shrunk away from the angry badger.

"Gaara clings to his humanity more than the rest of us," Kakashi muttered, spitting out a piece of bone. It flew into the fire, throwing up a flurry of sparks into the air.

"Why shouldn't he?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Just because you look like animals, doesn't mean you have to act like them."

"You know nothing about us!" Kakashi snarled, baring his fangs.

Sasuke felt his heart beat faster, fear spiking at the base of his spine again, but he refused to let it show. "I know that you're cursed," Sasuke stared back, unflinching. "Every curse can be broken… though it looks like you've let it break you instead."

"I don't have to listen to some stupid child," Kakashi leaped to his feet and stormed out of the kitchen, knocking over a table in his anger.

The other creatures in the room exchanged silent glances before turning back to their meals. Iruka sighed and walked over to Sasuke's table, crouching down on his haunches to be eye level with the boy. "Kakashi has tried to break the curse more than anyone else," he explained. "After several hundred years, it is difficult to keep hope alive, especially when the matter is completely out of your hands... Try to be understanding in the future."

"Yeah," Sasuke nodded, looking down at his food in embarrassment.

The rest of his meal passed in silence, the creatures left and went about whatever duties they had, and Sasuke found himself pondering questions about the curse, the Kyuubi, and his own role in all of this. Why had he offered himself up in Jiraiya's place? It wasn't like him to be so selfless. Uchiha's used other people like pawns, but they never allowed themselves to be used. Now, here he was… practically a prisoner.

A pet.

The word made his skin crawl, but isn't that was he was? He was a little human in a castle full of monsters, and he was at the mercy of the biggest monster of them all. So why did he feel like there was something else? The Kyuubi seemed to be the one in charge, but Sasuke felt like that might not have been the case. Yes, all of the other creatures in this castle were afraid of the Kyuubi's temper, but there were undercurrents that spoke volumes more.

Iruka, for example, seemed to be the one that everyone listened to. He seemed to be the one who ran the castle, and Kakashi seemed to command the same level of respect, but in a different manner; then there was that snake, Orochimaru? He was the Kyuubi's adviser, and everyone seemed to have a measure of fear regarding him. Kiba and Neji seemed content to do… well Sasuke didn't know what they did, but they didn't give off any sort of unsettling aura.

And Gaara…

Sasuke was confused about the red panda. He seemed to be human, despite his appearance. He was calm, collected, and he seemed to have little regard for any of this other companions… yet he was the Kyuubi's best friend? How did that work? The Kyuubi didn't seem like the kind of creature to have friends.

His wandering thoughts led him to actually wander the castle, and Sasuke found himself in the main atrium, looking around at the large, empty space. Rows of massive columns shifted and glimmered with flickering shadows cast by the gaslights. This place was so huge, yet it was occupied by so few. How did they stand it? What did they do to occupy themselves? Sasuke didn't think he could take this solitude for a lengthened period of time. He was going to go crazy, which only made him wonder how these creatures had any semblance of humanity left.

The sound of a door opening drew Sasuke's attention, and he spun around to find a doorway on the right of the atrium being closed by Gaara. The red panda had the tray on his shoulder, but it was empty now. Sasuke wondered how he could have eaten all that food by himself.

"Gaara?" Sasuke called out.

The red panda jumped with small look of surprise coming over his features. He turned to regard Sasuke with a pair of cautious emerald eyes. The crimson furred creature didn't speak, but he didn't turn to leave either.

"We weren't properly introduced," Sasuke continued, seeing if he could urge the other into conversation. "Can I… help you?" The raven gestured towards the tray. Sasuke couldn't believe he was offering to do something menial; Uchiha's didn't do menial labor, but here he was.

"No," Gaara said simply, tucking the tray under his arm and walking off toward the kitchen.

Shocked for a moment at the sudden cold rejection, Sasuke stood there watching the other leave. It took him a moment to realize that he would be left alone, and Sasuke didn't want to have to find a way to entertain himself, so he hurried off after the panda.

"Why are you following me?" Gaara glared sideways at Sasuke.

"Because I want to talk to you," the raven said simply.

"I don't wish to speak to you," Gaara said bluntly.

"Why?" Sasuke asked dumbfounded. He'd done nothing to insult Gaara, and the panda had been nothing but polite a few hours ago.

"Because you've placed Naruto in a fowl mood," Gaara growled, walking into the kitchen and tossing the tray onto a shelf. "He won't quit talking about you."

"Naruto?" Sasuke raised a confused eyebrow.

"The master," Gaara turned around, staring daggers into Sasuke. "He wants you to apologize."

"Hell no!" Sasuke growled, returning the glare with his patented Uchiha glower. The two of them stared each other down, neither willing to back off.

"You were rude," Gaara said coldly.

"He's an ass," Sasuke countered.

"You don't even know him!"

"I don't want to!"

"Then leave!" Gaara snarled, appearing animalistic for the first time, baring his sharp, tiny, pointed teeth.

"Would he let me?" Sasuke asked earnestly, crossing his arms.

Gaara seemed to contemplate this, before sighing and turning away, "No."

"See!" Sasuke held his arms out to claim victory, "He's an ass."

"Shut. Up!" Gaara growled, stalking off down a hallway.

Sasuke made to follow, but Gaara turned a corner, and, by the time Sasuke caught up to make the same turn, Gaara had vanished. Exhaling in frustration, Sasuke stalked back to the kitchen and flopped down onto a cushion, wondering what he was going to do now in order to pass the time. He assumed that he could find Iruka, but the badger didn't seem like a viable source of entertainment. Sure, Sasuke could get information, but he wasn't feeling in that mood at the moment.

Then sudden realization hit him, and Sasuke nearly slapped himself for being so unobservant.

Gaara's entire mood had changed because he had spoken with the Kyuubi, which meant that Gaara had gone to see the monster. If that were the case, then Sasuke now knew exactly where the Kyuubi's chambers were located…

A wicked grin pulled across Sasuke's lips as he finally saw a way to relieve his boredom.

* * *

The large wooden doors were inlaid with gold, an embossed symbol of a fox's head glistening around them as a centerpiece. Its eyes were hollowed out, sunken in, and surprisingly acted as handles for the massive entryway. Sasuke stood looking at them warily. He'd been fired up after learning where the entrance to the Kyuubi's chambers was located, but now that he stood outside of them he felt trepidation.

He really shouldn't be doing this.

That's what his brain was telling him. Sasuke often listened to logic, after all Uchiha's didn't have emotions, so logic was the only suitable thing to guide them. Unless you were like other members of his family who decided to listen to megalomania, ego, or just slip purely into self-absorbed insanity.

Letting out a sigh, Sasuke almost decided to turn around and walk away, but that little voice in the back of his head, the one that would never let him back down, the voice that always had to have the last word… it told him that he was afraid.

Sasuke Uchiha was afraid of nothing!

Steeling his resolve, the raven reached out for the door handle and pulled with all his might. The door opened with surprising ease, and even more surprising silence. Sasuke would have expected more resistance, this castle was ancient after all. Still, he wasn't about to question good fortune; quickly he stepped inside and pulled the doors closed before anyone could see what he was up to.

Once he was certain no one had noticed him breaking the rules, Sasuke turned to survey the lair of the beast.

It was spotless.

No, literally, the entire room he was standing in practically sparkled from floor to ceiling. "The hell?" Sasuke muttered, spinning around in place to take in everything.

The floors were polished to a shine, with several bright, orange rugs covering specific patches of the wood. The walls had bright, intricately designed wall paper with pictures of forest and meadows. The wooden furniture gleamed, polished to a shine; the many dressers, tables, and chairs were obviously antiques but they looked new. They had polished brass handles, plush velvet cushions for seats, gleaming stone countertops, glass mirrors shone clear enough that Sasuke thought he was looking through a portal to another room in the house.

"The Kyuubi is OCD?" Sasuke chuckled. "Wow…"

He decided to wander further into the creature's lair, moving beyond this room, which looked to be a living area or a parlor, and into the hallway. It was lit by more gaslights, and oil pictures hung in alcoves the entire length of the way. They showed people, probably ancestors of the people who had ruled Castle Kyu, the many men and women were all smiling and happy. None of them looked particularly the same, so Sasuke began to wonder if there was any relation between the subjects of the portraits until he came across one picture toward the end of the hall.

It was a man with brilliant golden hair and stunning blue eyes. He was dressed in a bright red kimono and had a young boy sitting on his lap. This boy had the same golden hair, only it looked much wilder, and a matching pair of wide, sapphire eyes that had so much joy and innocence in them. Sasuke couldn't take his own eyes off the painting; the brushwork was so intricate, the strokes flowing into one another in such a way that the portrait almost seemed to come to life. He could see the joy in the man's face, the excitement radiating from the boy, and they both seemed to be happy in one another's presence.

The door closest to Sasuke suddenly opened, and the raven turned around, startled from his attention being so focused on the painting, and he came face to face with the hulking, monstrous form of the Kyuubi. The beast looked furious, his crimson-golden eyes burning with rage as he stared down at Sasuke, "What are you doing here?"

"I…" Sasuke couldn't speak.

Faster than his eyes could track, the Kyuubi lunged at Sasuke, pinning the boy against the wall. Massive paws gripped Sasuke by the shoulders, lifting him bodily off the floor until he was eye level with the creature, "You aren't supposed to be in here!"

"Afraid I might find your mop and broom?" Sasuke grinned. He couldn't believe he had just said that, but then again… it was that voice in the back of his head. Sasuke just couldn't resist being a smart ass.

"RAH!" The Kyuubi's roar was deafening, and the beast threw Sasuke down the hallway.

The raven had a good two or three seconds of airborne flight to contemplate the error he had just made, then his back made a jarring, uncomfortable impact with the ground. Hardwood floors were definitely not soft, and they didn't yield. Sasuke's back was therefore responsible for taking the brunt of the impact, which knocked the air out of his lungs. He knew there were going to be bruises everywhere later.

Sasuke blinked his eyes several times, fighting back tears that threatening to well up from the pain. Once his eyes weren't watering, Sasuke managed to get them to focus, and he found himself looking directly into the face of the monster.

Kyuubi was crouched over him, his fangs bared; the monsters face was barely inches away from his own, and Sasuke had the horrible sensation that he life was about to end. The beast was going to kill him, eat him, and then spend the next few days obsessively scrubbing bloodstains out of the hardwood floor. What a pathetic way for an Uchiha to perish.

"Why are you such a bastard?" the Kyuubi growled. "Is it not enough to insult me, you have to invade my privacy as well!?"

"Why are you suck a dick?" Sasuke spat back, glaring up at the Kyuubi. If he was going to die, then he wasn't going to do it quietly.

Sasuke's comment seemed to take the beast by surprise. Kyuubi blinked several times, his anger fading just a bit. Frowning, the monster growled at the boy, "I am not a phallus."

"No," Sasuke smirked, apparently the monster wasn't up-to-date on current slang. "You're a dick: an asshole, a jerk, an idiot!"

"Gods! You're annoying!" the monster snarled, slamming a fist down next to Sasuke's head.

The raven could hear the floorboards crack from the force of the blow, and he was glad that the Kyuubi hadn't decided to punch him in the head. "I'm annoying?" Sasuke laughed, "You should look in one of your perfectly polished mirrors!"

"I have!" the monster snorted, blowing a gust of hot air into Sasuke's face. "You think I don't know what I look like!? You think I don't know!?" With another roar, the Kyuubi pushed himself up to his full height and tore off down the hallway, vanishing through the open doorway and slamming it shut behind him, the walls shuddering from the strength of Kyuubi's unbridled rage.

Sasuke lay there on the floor, uncertain how he was still alive. What was even more strange about his current predicament? Sasuke found himself overcome with an intense feeling of guilt, or possible regret? The Uchiha didn't understand it. What did he have to be guilty for? The beast was an unrefined, ill-tempered idiot. If its feelings could be hurt that easily; then Sasuke wasn't to blame.

Of course that was just the voice in the back of his head trying to make justifications. Sasuke knew himself better than anything, and he had wanted to hurt the Kyuubi. If he had a singular talent, Sasuke knew how to be an bastard. It was an Uchiha tradition, something they passed down through their bloodline. Every Uchiha had the ability to read people, find their weaknesses, and then pick the perfect words to exploit those weaknesses…

With a sigh, Sasuke pushed himself up onto his feet, ignoring the pain radiating through the muscles of his back. He shoved his hands into his pockets and stalked down the hallway towards the doorway which the Kyuubi had vanished behind.

If he was smart, Sasuke probably would have left. He would have been thankful to be alive, prayed to whatever deities had spared him from becoming a monster's midnight snack, and he would have gone back to his room. The little voice in the back of his mind was telling Sasuke that he was being incredibly stupid at the moment, but Sasuke's pride was telling that little voice to shut the hell up.

Sasuke refused to feel guilty about anything, and there was only one way to stop feeling guilty. As much as it pained him to admit it, Sasuke was going to… apologize. If anything it would make him the more mature person, and his pride was loving the idea of being the more mature individual. How insulting would that be to the Kyuubi? Sasuke was going to render that thousand year old monster speechless.

Pushing the door open, Sasuke discovered the largest, most opulent bedroom he had ever seen.

Large, crimson sheets of fabric hung from the ceiling to the floor about every ten feet, obscuring most of the room from view. Instead of wooden floors the entire room was tiled in black obsidian square which shimmered in the firelight of dozens of candles and gaslights. In the center of the room was a massive bed with an enormous four-poster frame. The frame was carved out of some dark wood, into the shape of dragon heads with the four dragons' wings forming the sides of the bed and meeting together to form the footboard and the headboard. The carpentry was magnificent.

Sasuke didn't get much time to look around, because the Kyuubi noticed him almost immediately. The monster rose from the place where he was crouched on the floor, snarling in anger, "Do you have a death wish!?"

"No," Sasuke said flatly, resisting the urge to run at the sight of the creature. No matter how collected Sasuke was, the sight of the Kyuubi with that much rage was enough to make even an Uchiha want to crawl in bed and cry out for his mother.

"Then what?" The moster threw its arms out wide, shrugging his hulking shoulders in a questioning gesture. "Have you come to insult me some more? Do you want me to hurt you?"

"I…" Sasuke was finding the words difficult to say. "I wanted to…"

"You wanted to what?" the golden eyes narrowed in anger, and the Kyuubi's voice dropped into a low growl, which was far more frightening than when the beast was yelling.

"I wanted to apologize," Sasuke practically whispered.

"What?" The beast looked dumbfounded.

"I'm not saying it again," Sasuke muttered petulantly, glaring at the wall. His pride was definitely not feeling very strong at the moment. So much for his brilliant plan.

"So the bastard actually has a conscience?" the Kyuubi purred, a smirk forming on his lips.

"So what?" Sasuke turned his most fierce glare upon the beast. "Are you going to gloat about it?"

"Nope," the monster turned and walked away. "Apology accepted." The Kyuubi vanished behind a curtain of fabric, leaving Sasuke alone once again.

"Oh! Hell no!" Sasuke shouted, storming off after the beast. "You don't get to act all high and mighty! You have to apologize as well!"

"Do I?" the golden furred monster looked highly amused, before he ducked behind another veil of crimson cloth.

"Damn right!" Sasuke rushed to keep up, but the Kyuubi was moving silently and when Sasuke pulled the fabric back he had lost sight of the monster completely.

"Why would I need to apologize?" the Kyuubi's voice echoed around the entire room, seeming to come from everywhere.

Sasuke spun around, trying to find out where the beast was. "Because you trapped me here! You've been nothing but an ass! And because if this is the way you treat your guests, then I'm going to die of boredom!"

"Well, we can't have that," Kyuubi's voice whispered in his ear.

Sasuke spun around to find himself face to face with the monster, well… face to chest. Sasuke had to look up to make eye contact with the golden-furred fox. How had he gotten there? The creature was way too fast!

Before Sasuke had a chance to say anything, Kyuubi's arms picked him up and threw him onto the massive bed. Sasuke landed in a sprawled, ungraceful tangle of limbs and sheets… rather comfortable sheets that were cool and soft to the touch, like silk. Sasuke had to work to keep his mind focused, angry with himself for getting distracted by sheets of all things. Struggling to push himself up, Sasuke managed to get into a partially seated position before the Kyuubi was on top of him, looking down at him like Sasuke were some sort of prey.

"If you were bored," the monster grinned, "All you had to do was say so…"

The scent of chestnuts and cinnamon assaulted Sasuke's senses, filling his mind with a heady wave of warmth. For a moment all of his thoughts just stopped, as if something had scrambled the senses in his brain and made it impossible to think. The raven suddenly felt a spike of panic. He was in the Kyuubi's bed, the monster was on top of him… and then that whole comment about "sex slave" came screaming to the front of his mind.

"What the hell!?" Sasuke shouted, shoving with all of his might and managing to push the Kyuubi off just enough so he could escape.

Not wasting even a single second, Sasuke fled the room, running down the hallway with portraits, and flying through the parlor. He threw opening the massive wooden doors, not even bothering to shut them as he just ran… he ran towards the entrance of the castle, barreling out into the courtyard, and he didn't stop. He saw the pavestone pathway that led back down the mountain, and Sasuke's flight response kicked into overdrive. All he had to do was keep running… run back to the village, back to Jiraiya, back to everything that was normal!

He didn't know how long he had been running, but suddenly his lungs were on fire. Sasuke's legs felt like jelly and his heart was pounding from exhaustion as much as it was from fear. He stopped, taking a look around and found that he was in the middle of the forest. There was no sign of Castle Kyu, and it didn't sound like anyone was following him.

Then the thunder roared.

Black clouds appeared in the sky, almost as if they had materialized from nowhere, and then they decided to let loose a downpour. Heavy rain fell in torrents, soaking Sasuke to the bone almost immediately. Visibility was difficult, and Sasuke just cursed. His wet clothes were heavy, and his limbs felt lethargic from exhaustion. Not certain really which way to go in the dark, he just pressed onward, grumbling and cursing his luck.

That stupid Kyuubi had managed to scare the hell out of him, and that wasn't the only thing! Sasuke's on mind had scared the hell out of him. He wasn't certain if he was willing to admit it to himself, but Sasuke suspected that his brain had actually considered… _doing _something with that monster. What kind of twisted, warped, screwed up shit was that?!

The raven shook his head rapidly, clearing all thoughts from his head and forcing his mind to focus on the task at hand. His mind was something he controlled, and he was going to keep it that way. Sasuke was determined to make it back to the village, back to his books, and back to everything that seemed normal. Peace and quiet, those were the things he needed.

_"Crack_!"

Sasuke spun around, hearing the sound of wood splitting. He managed to barely get out of the way a large tree branch came crashing to the ground in front of him. Then there was the sound of several more loud cracks, and then there was a sound of rushing water.

"Oh, god…" Sasuke breathed. A surge of muddy, churning water was rushing towards him, ripping trees down by their roots as it poured down the mountain side.

It was a flash flood. Sasuke had read about these. He'd never seen one, but apparently they could happen quiet easily in the mountains, especially during times of frequent rain. They were deadly, and Sasuke had no way to get out of the path. In fact, he barely had moments to curse his shoddy luck before the water hit him, sweeping him off his feet as it tore down the slope.

Sasuke's body hit several blunt objects, winding him and battering him. He couldn't tell if they were limbs or rocks or trees, but he could tell it hurt. The pain was everywhere, and he had to fight to maintain consciousness, to keep his head above water. Reaching out desperately, Sasuke managed to grab onto at low hanging branch, gripping it for dear life and hauling himself up out of the water. He barely manage to get his torso out of the surge before the flood tried to pull him under again. He was going to die. Sasuke was certain of it. There was no way that someone escape death _this _many times. He figured it was like one of those Final Destination movies, where Death kept coming until it got the person it was trying to kill. Sasuke was finished.

Then something gripped him underneath his armpits and plucked him out of the water like he didn't weigh anything. Sasuke looked around in a daze, vaguely seeing a blurry golden form with crimson eyes. _Strange_, Sasuke thought. He didn't remember his vision being that bad. It must have been because Sasuke couldn't focus. Whatever had saved him though was now running through the trees, jumping from branch to branch. Sasuke felt like he was flying, or maybe this is how squirrels felt?

The last thing he remembered, before falling completely unconscious, was hearing something speak to him. "God, you're an annoying bastard!" That's what the voice said, and Sasuke really couldn't disagree. His own mind was telling him the same thing; Sasuke really did find himself annoying at this particular moment. Thankfully the feeling was over quickly, and darkness claimed him.

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**A/N -**

**Yay! This took longer than I thought it would, but I personally think the chapter is stronger because of it! It has a nice mixture of character development, angst, humor, and plot progression. It's actually one of my favorite chapters. So, hopefully you enjoy it!**

**This story is completely supported by Reviews. The more I get, the more I am encouraged to write on it. So, yeah! That's about it. Hope you enjoyed it!**


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